Blogs

The Human Element: Incident Readiness in an Age of Workforce Volatility

By Bryan Besco posted 2 days ago
Strong cybersecurity posture must go beyond technology alone The 2026 UHY Middle Market Trends Report emphasizes a critical shift in perspective: cybersecurity is no longer just a technical challenge; it is a human one. While companies invest heavily in firewalls and automated defenses, the underlying strength of any security posture relies on the people operating within it. However, middle-market organizations are currently facing a "perfect storm" of human-centric risks, ranging from a historic talent crisis to a pervasive sense of exhaustion among the rank-and-file workforce. In an era where 65% of survey participants have already experienced a cyber incident, ...

M&A and the Trust Economy: Cybersecurity as a Valuation Driver

By Bryan Besco posted 6 days ago
Cyber risk becomes ‘balance-sheet event’ within transactions Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) were labeled as a primary strategic priority for the middle market in 2026, with 54% of companies actively considering activity as either buyers or sellers. However, in the “2026 Trust Economy”, a company’s cybersecurity posture is no longer just a technical checkbox handled in the final stages of a deal; it has become a primary driver of enterprise value. For organizations looking to scale through acquisition or exit at a premium, digital resilience is now as critical as EBITDA or revenue growth. As the threat landscape becomes more industrialized, investors and ...

It's Not The Technology: Digital Transformation Fails At The Operating Model

By Bryan Besco posted 8 days ago
Organizations continue to invest in AI, automation, and modern applications, while the lack of alignment on technology across the organization leads to failing transformation efforts. In a recent Forbes Business Council article , Cory McNeley shares his perspective on the missing layer in how businesses actually run and the common failure points to avoid. ​In today’s day and age, digital transformation has never been more accessible, but in my opinion, it has also never been more disappointing. Organizations are investing heavily in ERP platforms, AI tools, massive data lakes, analytics, automation and modern applications while simultaneously failing ...

Your "AI Recruiting Tool" Is Probably Just Boolean Search Wearing a Costume

By Tycho De Saeytyd posted 25 days ago
Your "AI Recruiting Tool" Is Probably Just Boolean Search Wearing a Costume Here is an uncomfortable thing to say out loud at a staffing conference: most of the "AI" your agency bought in the last two years is a search bar from 1970 with a marketing budget. Boolean search, the AND / OR / NOT strings recruiters have typed into databases for half a century, was a genuine breakthrough when it arrived. The problem is that it never left. It got faster. It got a cleaner interface. Somewhere around 2023 it got a little sparkle icon and a label that said "AI-powered." But underneath, a huge amount of recruitment software still works the way it did when recruiters ...

IRS Notice CP53E: What Taxpayers Should Know About the New Notices

By Bryan Besco posted 05-12-2026
Key Takeaways IRS Notice CP53E is legitimate, but some taxpayers may be receiving it unexpectedly or in error. Do not assume the notice is fraudulent simply because it asks for bank information, but be sure to verify it before taking action. Use only IRS.gov, your IRS Online Account, or your tax advisor to confirm next steps, especially if you were not expecting a refund. IRS CP53E notices are creating confusion Receiving an IRS Notice CP53E may be alarming, but in most cases, they have been completely legitimate and may have been distributed in error. Receiving an unexpected notice in the mail can be ...

Is Your Organization Truly Ready For AI?

By Bryan Besco posted 04-23-2026
Business leaders are feeling the pressure to move from exploring AI to making it work across their organizations. In a recent Forbes Business Council article , Cory McNeley shares his perspective on what it really means to be ready for AI, from having the right data and technology in place to aligning key stakeholders and operations. The insights below build on that point of view and are designed to help middle market organizations evaluate their readiness and take the next step with confidence. Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly moved from experimentation to an expectation of end users. Across industries, leaders are implementing custom copilots, ...

Don’t Just Train, Enable: How To Build System Superusers

By Bryan Besco posted 04-14-2026
When you think about it, a lot of companies invest heavily in technology training. New software gets rolled out, users attend workshops, they sit through training sessions, job aids get distributed, and everyone goes through a process just to check a box that says, "Yes, I’ve been trained!" And then time passes. A month, a quarter and then a year goes by. That’s when it becomes evident that adoption is uneven. Workarounds start to appear. Shadow processes creep in. The system that was supposed to make work easier still feels like a bottleneck instead of a force multiplier. The issue isn’t effort. It’s focus. Training alone creates competency. Enablement ...

Can AI Fix the Shortage of Tax Talent?

By Bryan Besco posted 04-09-2026
During busy season, tax firms become a pressure cooker, and every year that pressure exposes the same structural issue: a persistent talent shortage. Fewer students are graduating with accounting degrees, CPA candidate numbers continue to decline, and retirements are accelerating. At the same time, tax complexity is increasing and client expectations are rising, not falling. Compensation pressure is intensifying, margins are compressing, and long hours are driving burnout and mid-level attrition. Firms are being asked to do more with less. That raises a straightforward but important question: Can artificial intelligence meaningfully address the tax talent ...

Capital Follows Talent - Why Workforce Readiness Is Becoming An Investment Signal

By Matt Vuckov posted 04-07-2026
Welcome to April's Monthly Market Brief! In this edition, we examine how capital-intensive growth sectors are beginning to expose the limits of a reactive staffing model. As this shift takes hold, workforce availability is becoming a key determinant of whether projects move forward. In response, the market is shifting toward a more regional, systems-level view of talent. Regions like Northwest Indiana bring this dynamic into focus. They have many of the underlying attributes needed to support growth, but translating that potential into a reliable workforce pipeline requires coordination across employers, educators, and local institutions. As a result, ...

From Refunds to Payments: The Next Phase of IRS Modernization

By Bryan Besco posted 04-07-2026
Key Takeaways Federal policymakers are encouraging greater use of electronic payments across government transactions, including those involving the IRS. Taxpayers can still pay the IRS with paper checks today, but agencies are signaling a growing preference for digital payment methods. Businesses and individuals may benefit from evaluating electronic payment options now as federal payment modernization efforts continue. The federal government is continuing its effort to modernize how money moves through what has been called “America’s bank account,” said the U.S. Treasury. Recent policy actions encouraging ...

Funding the Defense: Leveraging the "One Big Beautiful Bill" for Cyber Resilience

By Bryan Besco posted 04-02-2026
Key Takeaways Middle-market companies delaying cybersecurity upgrades to preserve cash are increasing risk and costly technical debt The OBBBA creates new opportunities for businesses to free up capital and reinvest it in modern cyber defenses Integrating tax planning with IT strategy can turn compliance activities into funding for stronger security and resilience Data from the leaders who participated in UHY's 2026 Middle Market Trends Report showed mixed signals. Many may have been caught slightly off guard by the multi-front economic challenges that have dominated early 2026. While the data shows that ...

From Refunds to Payments: The Next Phase of IRS Modernization

By Bryan Besco posted 03-31-2026
The federal government is continuing its effort to modernize how money moves through what has been called “America’s bank account,” said the U.S. Treasury. Recent policy actions encouraging agencies to expand electronic payment capabilities reflect a broader effort to improve the speed, security, and efficiency of government transactions. Previously, we outlined the discontinuation of paper tax refund checks and other federal disbursements, one part of a larger initiative to modernize federal payment infrastructure. Attention is turning to the other side of the equation: payments made to the federal government, including taxes paid to the IRS. While policymakers ...

Vishing is the New Front Door to Your Cloud Environment and Sensitive Data

By Bryan Besco posted 03-09-2026
Key Takeaways Vishing attacks bypass traditional cybersecurity defenses by targeting employees directly Attackers impersonate IT support to steal login credentials and authentication codes in real time 2FA is no longer enough; businesses must adopt phishing-resistant MFA and train employees to recognize vishing threats. Recent cyberattacks have evolved beyond technical hacking. A new, highly successful campaign by the threat group ShinyHunters has been targeting businesses, including users of popular SaaS platforms, not by breaking through software "firewalls," but by tricking employees directly over the phone. This ...

Voided Tariffs Replaced with Section 122 Tariffs: Rates Broadly Applied at 15%

By Bryan Besco posted 02-24-2026
Key Takeaways IEEPA tariffs have been replaced with Section 122; 15% “across-the-board” tariffs with temporary authority, effective Feb. 24, 2026, until July 24, 2026 The measure is limited to 150 days, but it is likely that the President may seek an extension Uniform tariffs will make things less complicated and reduce costs from IEEPA IEEPA refund opportunities remain unclear; use this time to gather relevant documentation Following the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate IEEPA tariffs, the administration replaced those tariffs with Section 122 tariffs under the Trade Act of 1974. The new tariffs apply ...

Meals & Entertainment Deductibility in 2025 and 2026: What Staffing Firms Need to Know

By Bryan Besco posted 02-12-2026
Key Takeaways 2026 introduces a major tax shift by fully eliminating deductions for employer-provided meals that were partially deductible in 2025. Client business meals and employee travel meals remain 50% deductible, but only with strict documentation and separation from entertainment. Staffing firms should use 2025 to adjust budgets and meal policies to avoid unexpected cost increases and IRS scrutiny in 2026. As staffing firms continue navigating a tightening regulatory landscape, understanding how meals and entertainment expenses will be treated for tax purposes in 2025 and 2026 is essential for budgeting, pricing, and compliance. ...

Guidance on OBBB 100% Bonus Depreciation: Key Info for Capital Expenditures in 2026

By Bryan Besco posted 02-10-2026
Key Takeaways Taxpayers may generally rely on the existing final bonus depreciation regulations while Treasury and the IRS develop updated rules. This allows businesses to plan around acquisition and placed-in-service timing. Notice 2026-11 does not provide additional guidance on the separate special allowance for qualified production property under IRC § 168(n). Ahead of the 2026 tax season, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued Notice 2026-11, confirming that the prior § 168(k) regulatory framework generally continues to apply to the bonus depreciation changes enacted in Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025), ...

The Illusion of Security: Why the Quality of Your Penetration Test Matters

By Bryan Besco posted 02-05-2026
To understand the value of a high-quality penetration test, you must first understand the penetration testing industry itself. A lack of standardized nomenclature has blurred important distinctions, often allowing automated scans to be marketed as full penetration tests. At their core, these scans are vulnerability assessments, systematic, automated processes designed to identify, quantify, and rank known vulnerabilities in a system. While valuable as a baseline diagnostic activity, a vulnerability assessment is not an attack simulation and does not have the context, creativity, and attacker mindset of a real-world threat. Limitations of the automated approach ...

Your Technical Debt Is Calling—Are You Going To Answer?

By Bryan Besco posted 01-27-2026
Every organization carries some level of technical debt. It accumulates quietly over the years, like a ticking time bomb. An outdated system integration here, a custom field over there and some workflow someone built years ago that no one remembers why, but everyone thinks it is important. One day, you wake up and discover that what once felt like band-aid solutions has turned into a full-blown operational liability. Technical debt rarely raises its hand and makes itself known. It slowly builds in your organization and results in small inefficiencies, small downtime windows and small frustrations until the small inefficiencies start to cost millions to support. ...

USPS Clarifies ‘Delayed’ Postmarking and Potential Late Fees and Penalties on Mail-in Returns, IRS Correspondence

By Bryan Besco posted 01-13-2026
Key Takeaways USPS postmarks are often applied during processing, not when mail is dropped off; meaning tax returns, payments, or IRS correspondence mailed on a deadline may still be treated as late. Because the IRS generally relies on the postmark date to determine timeliness, delayed postmarking can result in penalties or interest even when documents are mailed on time. As the 2026 tax filing season approaches, taxpayers and businesses should reassess how they handle time-sensitive mail to reduce the risk of late-filing consequences. A recent clarification from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) highlights something many taxpayers ...

Work Opportunity Tax Credit: Nears Expiration as Congress Debates Extension, Expansion

By Bryan Besco posted 12-18-2025
Key Takeaways · The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is scheduled to expire for employees who begin work after December 31, 2025. · Bipartisan legislation would extend the credit through 2030, increase its value, and expand worker eligibility. · Staffing firms and quick-service restaurant operators are among the employers most affected due to their reliance on WOTC-eligible labor pools. For nearly 30 years, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) has served as a critical federal incentive encouraging employers to hire individuals who face structural barriers to entering or re-entering the workforce. Enacted ...