Is QuickBooks Online Safe? How QuickBooks Bank Feeds Keep Your Data Secure

How QuickBooks bank connections work

QuickBooks Online allows you to connect your bank accounts and credit cards to our bank feeds. By linking your bank account and credit cards, QuickBooks automatically and securely downloads your transactions, creating a seamless bridge between your financial institution and accounting software. 

QuickBooks bank feeds connection is strictly ‘read-only’, meaning the data flows in one direction: from your bank to your QuickBooks account. QuickBooks can read your transactions to help you categorise them and track expenses, but cannot process payments or obtain personal information from your transactions.

Having your bank and credit card transactions flow into QuickBooks Online bank feeds automatically eliminates manual recording, ensures real-time accuracy in your accounts, and saves valuable time.

How QuickBooks Online keeps your information secure in our Bank Feeds

When connecting your business bank account to our bank feeds, you may ask “Is QuickBooks safe to use?” At QuickBooks Online, safeguarding your financial data is our top priority. 

Intuit data protection employs advanced, industry-recognised security measures to maintain the privacy and protection of your information. 

Here's a breakdown of QuickBooks bank feeds security features.

Read-only connection

Bank connections via QuickBooks bank feeds are ‘read-only’. This means QuickBooks can only read your transactions and cannot move your money to or from your bank account, preventing any unauthorised movement of your money.

Password-protected log-ins

Your access to QuickBooks Online, including our bank feeds, is secured through password-protected log-ins. Password protection prevents unauthorised access to your account and financial information.

Permission levels and controls

You control who accesses your data and what they can see and do. Unique passwords and multiple permission levels add an extra layer of security, ensuring data privacy.

Bank-grade SSL encryption technology

We utilise the same 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology trusted by the world's top banks. QuickBooks Online is secured by DigiCert®, the leading SSL certificate authority. 

Combined SSL and RSA encryption technology

QuickBooks combines SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) encryption technology to provide encryption during online communication. This ensures data privacy by allowing only the intended audience to access data and read messages. These security measures also provide data integrity by ensuring messages received have not been altered after they have left the sender.

Fortified server security

Our professional staff, alongside automated tools, monitor service performance 24/7. Our proactive security approach ensures immediate identification and prompt resolution of any potential issues.

• Physical Security: Our production equipment is securely housed with round-the-clock physical security, including video surveillance and alarms.
• Environmental Safeguards: Complex smoke, flood detection, and fire suppression systems further protect your data.
• Power Backup: We maintain a secure power supply and backup generators to reduce the impact of power cuts.
• Firewall-Protected Servers: QuickBooks servers are fortified with firewall protection that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

Automatic data backup

QuickBooks stores your data safely in the cloud. We provide the convenience of automatic offsite storage, eliminating the need for extra effort and cost on your part. Your data remains instantly accessible from any internet-connected computer, even in unexpected situations.

Always-on activity log and audit trail

QuickBooks always-on activity logs and audit trails are unmodifiable and record every login and transaction change. The audit trail provides a transparent history of changes to specific transactions, offering an electronic trail for accountability.

TRUSTe Privacy Program

Intuit is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program, reinforcing QuickBook’s commitment to online trust through privacy trustmarks and innovative solutions. 

Security tips for QuickBooks users

Follow our security tips to ensure you use best practices when it comes to maintaining security.

• Password protection: Avoid sharing passwords or using common names and dates. Ensure password strength by using numbers, capital and lowercase letters, and special characters.
• Set permission levels: If you have multiple people on your team, set permission levels to control what they can see and do within the account. You can also track any changes and activities via our always-on activity log and audit trail.
• Virus protection and firewalls: Maintain virus protection and a firewall on computers accessing QuickBooks products.
• Caution with programs: Avoid installing programs from unknown sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

1, 2, 3: Based on a September 2022 survey conducted by Intuit of 611 small businesses in global markets that use QuickBooks Online to invoice customers. Global markets exclude AU, BR, CA, FR, IN, MX, UK, and US.