With privacy services a burgeoning practice discipline for CPAs, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is helping its members achieve success with a series of privacy-related resources.

“Privacy services are a terrific new service area for CPAs,” said Everett Johnson, Chair of the AICPA’s Privacy Task Force. “CPAs are in a unique position to examine privacy practices, help entities manage privacy risk and help them turn sound privacy practices into a marketplace advantage.”

CPAs may learn more about privacy services and how to incorporate them into their practices through the following Institute offerings:

• Understanding and Implementing Privacy Services: A CPA’s Resource. This is a complete reference of practical, results-oriented procedures controls, methods and tools for providing value-added privacy services for all types and sizes of entities. The implementation guide and accompanying CD build on the body of knowledge contained in the Privacy Framework developed jointly by the AICPA and Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants; the framework has earned the endorsement of Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. Understanding and Implementing Privacy Services is available to AICPA members for $139 from www.cpa2biz.com.

• Privacy Issues for Business: Whose Information Is It Anyway? In June, the AICPA covered this subject in a popular webcast, now available on CD-ROM from www.cpa2biz.com. The member price is $49.

• E-Mail and the Law. Appearing in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Accountancy, this article by Sagi Leizerov, Ph.D., of Ernst & Young explores the emergence of Spam-related regulations, how the AICPA/CICA Privacy Framework can serve as a tool for meeting the regulatory challenges, and how CPAs can counsel their clients. The article may be accessed at http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/aug2004/leizerov.htm.

“With information exchanging hands at incredible speed, protecting the privacy of clients and employees will be a major endeavor of the CPA profession for the foreseeable future,” Johnson said.