QuickBooks Pro and Premier Security

While security is not at robust as for the QuickBooks Enterprise version, it does offer the ability to deter fraud and make it more difficult for unknowledgeable users to cause problems.

Users can be given full access or restricted to certain area of QuickBooks. “External Accountant” access was created to allow outside accounting consultants to access all but the most sensitive customer data, such as credit card numbers.

One of the most important options to protect against less experienced users is the restriction against changing or deleting transactions, espacially changing or deleting closed transactions. This can avoid unnecessary time wasted looking for changes in prior year end balances relied on in preparing tax or financial reports.

For most areas, the administrator and assign “No access”, “Full access”, or “Selective access”. Selective access allows the following:

• Create transactions only
• Create and print transactions
• Create transactions and create reports (Option available when appropriate)

The control areas are:

• Sales and Accounts Receivable
• Purchases and Accounts Payable
• Checking and Credit Cards
• Inventory
• Time Tracking
• Payroll and Employees
• Sensitive accounting activities
• Sensitive financial reporting
• Changing or deleting transactions

The security screens are shown below.



Robert Guild is certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor in Austin, TX who conducts CPE courses for CPAs and individual training and group classes to QuickBooks users. His company at www.QBCoach.biz, maintains a sixteen-station QuickBooks lab, providing hands-on training. You can contact him directly at rguild@QBCoach.biz or follow him on twitter at QBPro