AG x Karbon

Client Support Hub

Aintree Group x Karbon: Client Support Hub

Everything you need to know about using Karbon as a client of Aintree Group.

Login to your Client Portal

What Is Karbon?

Portal Help

Security Info

What is Karbon?

Our Karbon portal is a secure online management system that allows you to easily and safely send, receive and store all of your accounting and tax information online.

Why are we using Karbon?

It’s a safer and more efficient way to handle your accounting and tax.
It simplifies the process for you and allows us to serve your individual needs better.
It provides you with more flexibility:
- You can comment and ask questions directly in the portal.
- Your accountant is immediately notified and can take action.
- Eliminates the need for email and keeps it all together in one place, so you can review it at any time.

How does it work?

The client portal allows you to review and approve your accounting and tax information with the click of a button. It also allows you to view open and closed requests and any current requests we’ve sent to you.

If you’ve already created an account for Karbon for Clients, login using the link below.

Login Securely

Karbon Help & User Guides

How to set up your Karbon for Clients Portal Account

Accessing & Using Your Karbon for Clients Portal

1. You’ll receive an invitation to set up your Karbon for Clients portal account from your Aintree Group advisor:

2. Click your secure link, or Access Now, and follow the prompts to set up your account. This will include verifying your email address (make sure to check your junk folder just in case), setting a password and setting up your preferred two factor authentication method – to ensure the security of your data!

Login to your Karbon Client Portal

If you’ve already set up your Karbon Portal following the instructions above, you can login directly to your portal here.

How to complete tasks in Karbon – Upload Documents, Ask Questions, etc.

Review Tasks
You will receive an email with your tasks. Click on ‘manage checklist’ to access the tasks you need to complete.

You will automatically see all the tasks assigned to you for completion.

Please keep in mind if you open this link on one device, and you’d like to access it on a different device, click the link again and it will ask you to “Send Access Link”. This will send another link to the originally sent email that will allow you to access it from the computer.

Comment, Ask Questions and Upload files
You’ll be able to comment, ask questions and upload files on each of the tasks, which your accountant is immediately notified of and can take action.

Click Comment to comment or ask questions on a task or click upload files to attach files to a task. To add files to a comment click on the paperclip icon on a comment while composing.

Log in to the Client Portal
By logging in, you’ll have access to all your open and closed requests, including current client requests that haven’t been completed. You’ll also have copies of documents you have uploaded, so you can keep track and easily find what’s been sent.

If you’re still a bit stuck – we’re here to help! Give our Client Experience team a call on 03 9851 7999, or contact your Aintree Group advisor directly via email.

Client Portal Security Information

Karbon takes our responsibility for our clients, and their clients’ data security seriously. The Karbon Client Portal is a Karbon platform feature that allows trusted advisors to engage with their clients and share information in a manner that is more secure than email.

Click below to read more on each topic, or view Karbon’s own security info page.

Client Requests

The Client Portal is protected by many of the same safeguards that protect access to the Karbon platform.

All client request messages are configured with transport layer security (TLS) encryption protocol (an advanced form of secure socket layer – SSL encryption) to encrypt client request messages and submitted client documentation or artifact during data transmission (i.e., data travel) activities over the internet.

This encryption transfers all messages and artifacts within the Client Portal over the internet in ciphertext, reducing the likelihood of your data being compromised during your client’s use of the Client Portal. Encrypting the Client Portal with TLS means that our clients’ use of the Client Portal is secure and client activities and data is encrypted and safely shared.

Magic Links

Magic Links, provide a convenient and secure method for a party to verify their identity. When you receive a Client Request from Karbon, it will include a unique Magic Link to access the request from the body of the email.

Magic Links can only be used once by a single device. A magic link can only be used a single time. Once it has been used, the device that received the email is considered a trusted device. Any attempt to reuse the link on any other device will be declined. If you want to access the portal on a second device you can request that a new link be generated and sent to you.

Magic Links expire after 30 day. Regardless of whether a link has been activated or not, its access to the portal will expire after 30 days of being generated. At this time you will be prompted to generate a new link.

Magic Links are only valid for the lifetime of the work item. Once a work item associated with a magic link has been marked complete, the magic link is no longer available for use.

Magic Links are unguessable. Unlike a PIN, which could be guessed, a Magic Link cannot be guessed ahead of time.

Only one Magic Link can be valid at a time. If a Client Request is resent to a new email address the link in the initial request will immediately become unusable.

Magic Links cannot be used to download sensitive documents. Documents that you upload via client requests are not able to be downloaded via Magic Links. Documents uploaded by clients are only accessible inside the Karbon platform.

Full Access via Login

If you require access to all open and completed requests (including comments and documents), you can log in to the Client Portal, which is a password-protected web application. This differs from a magic link, which only provides access to the request details for a specific work item.

The Client Portal requires that you submit a username and password prior to gaining access to the portal. Submission of a username and password requires that the Client Portal validates your identity prior to gaining access to all of the client requests sent to you.

Only you can access your Client Portal. Once logged in, you will only see the client requests sent to your login email address.

Security Best Practice

We suggest that you keep the security of emails ‘top of your mind’ when using the Karbon platform and its features. As the vulnerability of your emails lives in your email provider, it is your responsibility to implement appropriate security safeguards at this level.

We’ve outlined some best practices for securing your emails:

• Strong Complex Password Credentials – A strong password is one you can’t guess or crack using a brute force attack in a reasonable amount of time. They consist of a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols, such as punctuation. Enforcing these for all personnel can increase your security. The most secure way to protect your password is by using a password manager.

• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) – Adds an additional layer of security. This means that anyone trying to log in to your account requires two or more verification factors to gain access. Rather than just asking for a username and password, MFA requires one or more additional verification factors, such as an SMS code, which decreases the likelihood of a cyber-attack.

• Security Awareness Training – Firms are vulnerable because of one key factor: human error. 98% of Cyber Attacks in 2021 involved some form of social engineering, so it’s important that you understand the basics of information security and asset protection.

If you require further security awareness training on best practices for password protection, phishing attempts, and information security, please get in touch with your Aintree Group advisor so we can assist you.

Karbon Platform Security

All information stored within the Karbon platform, including Client Request data, is encrypted in transit and at-rest using enterprise-grade highly scalable cloud servers and databases.

Karbon has implemented many additional security practices to safeguard data processed by the Karbon platform.

These security practices are evaluated during periodic internal audit activities and external security audits, including the SOC 2 Type 2 examination. A copy of Karbon’s general use SOC 3 report covering Security, Availability, Confidentiality, and Privacy service commitments for the Karbon web application can be requested here.

Karbon customers wanting a copy of our more comprehensive SOC 2 Type 2 report should contact the Karbon customer support team at support@karbonhq.com.

If you have any additional questions about the security of the Karbon Client Portal, please contact their customer support team at support@karbonhq.com

Talk to our team!

We’re very happy to talk you through the features and benefits of Karbon, or even meet in person for training to make sure you’re comfortable with the whole process!

Get in touch today!