If you told me that your data security is keeping you up at night, I wouldn’t be surprised.

There are so many factors to consider, industry regulations to monitor, best practices to follow, deadlines to meet and customers to satisfy.

In a world where we place more trust in web-based solutions – and more recently AI – how do you know if your data is secure?

What we will discover in this article about cloud native software

In this article, we look at how IRIS Elements, our modular cloud accounting platform, puts security at the heart of everything it does.

We will explore:

• The essence of IRIS Elements and the principle of security by design.
• Why is it important that IRIS Elements is built using market-leading web services and established protocols.
• How it is not just an area of ​​IRIS Elements that ensures security, but a range of activities that support continuous improvement, proactive monitoring, self-healing and rapid updates.

You’ll also see the importance of meeting important standards (ISO 27001:2022, Cyber ​​Essentials/Plus, ISO 9001) and much more.

What is cloud native software?

“Cloud native” software essentially means that the application is designed from the ground up to work in the cloud. It does this through a web browser rather than being installed on a desktop computer.

These applications take full advantage of the flexibility of cloud infrastructure. They are developed under the assumption that things can and will go wrong, and are therefore built using independent microservices. This way, if something goes wrong, the impact can be isolated, operations redirected, and your business can continue to operate.

Built to be resilient, cloud-native applications benefit from the ability to easily scale with demand.

IRIS Elements – a cloud-native application focused on security

IRIS Elements is one of the most ambitious software development projects we have undertaken. From the start, more than 300 developers worked on the platform, creating solutions to meet the needs of accountants today and tomorrow.

How our cloud-native software adapts to new regulations

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus pointed out that “the only constant in life is change,” and the same could be said for regulations. That’s why the ability to pivot and adapt is the cornerstone of the Elements platform.

By leveraging the experience gained in compliance software development over decades, our developers are able to create solutions to meet any new obligations you, as an accountant, may have. Because Elements is built for the cloud, these updates are instantaneous. A good example of this more recently has been our MTD Segmentation Tool for Income Tax, or our recently released AI Tax Anomaly Detector. Because Elements is built for the cloud, updates are instant and new developments can be deployed more quickly. All you, the user, need to do is log in; everything is ready for you.

But what does cloud native actually mean in everyday life?

In a word, flexibility and security. But there is much more than that. To give you a good overview, let’s take a look at some of the building blocks of IRIS Elements.

• Security by design: IRIS Elements is built with security by design principles integrated into every phase of development. This includes architecture governance, thorough design reviews, threat modeling, and ongoing automated security testing integrated into our software development lifecycle. All new features are reviewed against strict risk assessment criteria using secure coding practices.
• Layered identity security: We protect your account and customer data using multi-factor authentication (MFA) in all key workflows, and you can also use role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict access to only what each user needs. Modern authentication standards include token-based secure access, as well as session security and strong security headers.
• Operational continuity: IRIS Elements is built for resiliency with enterprise-level protection through AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF). It features a distributed architecture that supports scaling and load balancing. Traffic controls and deployment freeze policies are enforced during critical filing periods, ensuring you’re never left behind. Continuous monitoring is carried out for detection of anomalies and malicious activities.
• Data security and GDPR: ISO 27001:2022 is the global benchmark certification proving that an organization has robust, audited and continually improved information security controls. Affected IRIS elements ISO 27001 accreditation: 2022demonstrating robust security management processes, continuous monitoring, documented risk assessments and robust controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of customer data.
• Flexibility to scale as needed: Whether it’s a busy season driving demand, organic growth, or inorganic growth, the need to turn on the capacity switch comes naturally to our cloud-native IRIS Elements application. With faster remote updates and automated operations, the software can scale to your business.

Learn more

About the author

Helen Evans is Global Director of Product Marketing at IRIS Software Group, where she leads go-to-market strategies and operations, digital customer engagement and technology adoption. With extensive experience in digital marketing, e-commerce and product marketing across B2B and B2C sectors – including banking, telecommunications, automotive, electronic components and technology – Helen has over 20 years of experience in shaping and developing strategies to adapt to changing customer and market needs.

What is IRIS Elements?

IRIS Elements is a modern, cloud-native accounting software platform. It is designed to be modular, scalable and accessible anywhere. Its shared single customer record and seamless integrations reflect the goal of good cloud-native software: security, flexibility, and ease of use.

Ultimately, IRIS Elements is an online platform where you “pick the modules you need” and run everything from a unified online interface. This gives businesses incredibly fast updates, remote access and less manual administration.

How does cloud native software architecture work?

Cloud-native software is designed for speed, security, and scalability. It starts with containersthe autonomous “building blocks” which bring together everything an application needs to run. These bricks form microservicesindividual “rooms” that each handle a specific task, allowing the system to remain flexible, resilient and easy to update. Connecting it all is the service network – the secure network of “doors and corridors” that ensures that each microservice communicates smoothly and securely. Together, these components create a modern, reliable software experience that scales effortlessly with your business.

Does IRIS Elements integrate securely with external systems?

Yes. IRIS Elements integrates with Xero, QuickBooks Online, KashFlow and Companies House. Within the IRIS ecosystem, it also integrates with IRIS Tax and Accounts Production compliance modules as well as IRIS Openspace.

What products are available in IRIS Elements?

Modules available in IRIS Elements: AML, MTD Ready Tax, Proposal Manager, Trust Tax, Account production, Practice Management, Company secretarial services, Company creation, VAT declarant and Cashbook IRIS Elements.

What’s new in IRIS Elements?

The latest versions include our AI tax anomaly tool which identifies discrepancies between the current year and the previous year. There is also our MTD segmentation tool in IRIS Elements Tax to automate the identification of customers affected by MTD for Income Tax (MTD for IT).