Don't Mess With Taxes

Yes, I know I've been fixated of late on computer security.     

First there was the ransomware warning. Then the new Internal Revenue Service impersonation tax identity theft scheme appeared.

Part of the reason such topics have captured my fancy recently is that for the last week I've been away from my office a lot. That's meant doing much of my work on other systems.

Even though I trust them, I always get a twinge of fear that somehow, someone will hack me.

So thanks for bearing with me on my repetitive focus on computer — and tax — security, as well as the lateness of today's post. Just getting it in under the calendar wire!

It's this week's Shout Out Saturday (by a few minutes!) and it goes to Uncle Sam's tax agency and its Security Summit partners, who have issued some suggestions on how to create a data theft recovery plan.

IRS and partners 5-part security plan: As noted, it's late on this first day of the weekend. Plus the purpose of this weekly shout out is direct your attention to another worthwhile tax site or financial blog. So I won't rehash what's in the IRS data recovery announcement.

However, I will note that it's also the final segment of the IRS' special five-part Security Summit series that started back in mid-July.

Dubbed the new Taxes-Security-Together Checklist, the series highlights ways tax professionals can, and should, review critical security steps to ensure they are fully protecting their computers and email, as well as safeguarding sensitive taxpayer data.

The checklist's key areas are:

• Deploy “Security Six” basic safeguards, which I blogged about in 6 tax security tips for pros and taxpayers alike,
• Create data security plan,
• Educate yourself on phishing scams,
• Recognize the signs of client data theft and today's
• Create a data theft recovery plan.

Remember, while these tips technically are for tax professionals, all of us can benefit from taking extra security steps to safeguard our data and tax information.

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