Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Practitioner Alert: Security webinar; password theft

Securing client information

During a “Cybersecurity for Tax Professionals” webinar on Wednesday, August 23, experts from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and the National Association of Tax Professionals will focus on securing client information against a data breach.

The August 23 webinar will cover access control, secure data storage, protecting data during transmission, remote access, and securing paper, physical media, and devices. It is one of a series of webinars, which are being offered at no charge. CE/CPE credits are available for certain tax practitioners. For registration and other information, click here.

Password theft

The Security Summit on August 22 urged tax professionals to guard against password theft. The Security Summit also reminded tax professionals that they are responsible for protecting access to their IRS e-Services account and safeguarding their Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN).

The Security Summit includes the IRS, the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, other states’ tax agencies, and the tax industry. The Security Summit has launched a 10-part campaign, called “Don’t Take the Bait,” which is aimed at tax professionals. To view the August 22 installment of the series, which explains protecting EFINs and safeguarding passwords, click here. To view the August 15 installment, which focuses on email scams targeting employee Forms W-2, click here.