A common mantra we have is “update, backup, update, backup”.  If you are a QuickBooks user, today is your day.

Intuit has identified and is implementing an update to address a security vulnerability in QuickBooks desktop software.  This does not impact QuickBooks desktop for Mac or QuickBooks Online.

Below is an outline of the steps required to install the update, which is designed to address the security vulnerability. The update includes password controls to verify that the person attempting to access the account is authorized.

If you have the “credit card protection” feature on, or have credit card data in your QuickBooks company file, you will be asked to set up a password, if you do not already have one.

Open QuickBooks desktop, click Help > Update QuickBooks.  In the Overview tab, click Update Now.

In the Update Now tab, make sure you have a check mark next to Maintenance Releases and Critical Fixes.  Click Get Updates to start the download.  When the download is complete, please restart QuickBooks desktop to complete the installation.

ProTip: To turn on the automatic updates feature in QuickBooks desktop so that you automatically receive any future updates when they are released, choose Help > Update QuickBooks. On the Options tab, select Yes for Automatic Update.

More information on updating QuickBooks desktop by this method as well as alternative methods is available here.

The security update includes:

• Password controls to verify that the person attempting to access the account is authorized.
• All users who have the “credit card protection” feature on, or have credit card data in their QuickBooks desktop company file, will be asked to set up a password.
• The administrator account holder will be notified if users have not set up a password.  This will give the administrator account holder the ability to recommend that users create a password, or to assign a password directly to those users.  This will increase security by requiring that all users with access to the system use appropriate security credentials.
• Customers using QuickBooks desktop in multi-user mode will need to ensure that all users are on a supported version of QuickBooks desktop and have installed the security update.