The IRS and its Security Summit partners have launched a summertime security awareness campaign, including new and updated resources, to encourage tax professionals to secure client data. The Security Summit is a partnership between the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry.
One of the resources, Publication 4557—Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, has been revised to reflect current threats to tax professionals. It outlines basic steps tax professionals should take, how to spot data theft, how to report data loss and provides details on how to comply with requirements for the FTC Safeguards Rule.
The IRS has also created a new document, Publication 5293—Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals, which offers cybersecurity tips and includes a summary of IRS.gov resources for tax preparers.
With the increase in tax-related identity theft and cybercrime, the IRS urges tax professionals to take stronger security steps with the help of these and other resources.