IRS: Pandemic adds to data-theft risks with new schemes – Hays Post

IRS

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the
nation’s tax industry today warned tax professionals that they face
additional security risks from cybercriminals seeking to use the
pandemic and phishing scams to steal sensitive client information.

The partners, working together as the Security Summit,
urged tax pros to remain focused on security issues and ensure they
follow important steps to safeguard their information, including using
multi-factor authentication and using a Virtual Private Network to guard
against data loss. And Summit partners continued to remind tax pros,
both large and small, that they are required to have a security plan in
place.

This is part of the National Tax Security Awareness Week. Now in its
sixth year, the initiative aims to heighten awareness about identity
theft and data security measures among taxpayers, businesses, and tax
professionals. This effort is particularly important right now as the
2022 tax filing season approaches, and identity thieves continue trying
to steal sensitive data to file fraudulent tax returns.

“We continue to see scams and security risks during this period
targeting tax professionals and the sensitive information they hold,”
said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Identity thieves continue to evolve
with the times and use the pandemic and other tricks to take advantage
of tax pros and gain access to their data. We continue to urge tax
preparers to remain aware of this changing threat. Taking important
security steps can help avoid a security breach that can be devastating
to them and their clients.”

As the IRS and Security Summit partners took important steps to
strengthen defenses against cybercriminals, identity thieves
increasingly turned to tax professionals, targeting their offices and
systems. Data thefts from tax professionals can provide valuable
information to thieves trying to file fraudulent tax returns.

The Summit partners remind tax professionals to review their security measures. IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data PDF, provides tax professionals with a starting point for basic steps to protect clients.

The Security Summit also created the “Taxes-Security-Together” Checklist
to help tax professionals identify the basic steps they should take. As
more tax preparers work from home or remote locations because of
COVID-19, these measures are even more critical for securing tax data.

Basic protections – the “Security Six” measures

These easy steps can make a big difference, both for tax pros and taxpayers:

1. Use anti-virus software and set it for automatic updates to keep
   systems secure. This includes all digital products, computers and
   mobile phones.
2. Use firewalls. Firewalls help shield computers from outside attacks
   but …….

   Source: https://hayspost.com/posts/98961261-ffac-44e6-94d3-af24c1b04e87

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