Data security

The Internal Revenue Service needs to do a better job of keeping track of the laptop computers issued to contractors, according to a new report.

It’s no secret that professional services firms house troves of hack-worthy data. Accountants, lawyers, consultants, recruiters, media, creative, IT and other service providers routinely access and share sensitive information to meet client needs—making them prime targets for cybercriminals and the ideal potential victims for data mishandling.

The Internal Revenue Service is warning tax professionals that identity thieves are trying to remotely take control over their computers to file fraudulent tax returns using the names and IDs of their clients.

Tax-related identity theft has risen exponentially over the last couple of years.

The IRS does not notify taxpayers it identifies as victims of employment-related identity theft and has not established an effective process to send the required notice to the Social Security Administration, according to a new report.

The accounting industry has been slow to make the shift to DMS, resulting in a technologically imposed chasm.

The New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA) has made IT private cloud provider IVDesk an approved vendor on its member benefits marketplace.

The Internal Revenue Service is sounding the alarm about a new scheme in which scammers send emails purporting to come from tax software companies, instead fooling tax preparers into clicking on a link that will load malware on their computers.

The Internal Revenue Service is recommending tax professionals monitor their Preparer Tax Identification Numbers for signs of suspicious activity.

It’s important for all accounting firms, big and small, to understand the appropriate ways to keep themselves safe against cyber threats.