Data security

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.

Frank Abagnale, the con man portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 hit movie, “Catch Me If You Can,” has a message for accountants and their clients about the dangers of using free public Wi-Fi hotspots: Don’t get conned.

Internal auditors increasingly need to check their companies’ defenses against cyberattacks from hackers and identity thieves.

The Internal Revenue Service has restored the online “Get an IP PIN” service after fixing security vulnerabilities in the tool for giving identity theft victims an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number.

The maturity of the internal audit function differs in various parts of the world, according to a new study.

The AICPA announced a multifaceted action plan against cyber crime.

The Internal Revenue Service has begun a new campaign to make tax preparers more aware of security risks that could expose their clients to identity theft and tax fraud.

The biggest technology “annoyance” faced by accountants is keeping up with changing software, according to a recent survey, with security and risk management in second place.

The Internal Revenue Service held a meeting Tuesday of its Security Summit members to discuss progress on combating identity theft-related tax refund fraud this past tax season along with plans for next year.

If you use a shared printer that is not located directly within your reach, printing sensitive documents is not an option.

The Internal Revenue Service has closed down its electronic filing PIN tool after noticing suspicious activity.

Ransomware—malware that can block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid to the perpetrator—is targeting professionals in ways that are likely to cause the unsuspecting to open an infected file.

Xero has updated its online invoicing feature with the aim of helping small businesses get paid faster.

The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee issued its annual report Wednesday, with recommendations calling on the Internal Revenue Service to expand its electronic filing efforts and digital strategy, and to offer end-to-end capabilities on online accounts for both taxpayers and tax professionals.

Verizon released its ninth annual Data Breach Investigations Report last month, which reports on the major security breaches and methods used by hackers to compromise businesses and governmental organizations.

The Big Four accounting firms have come roaring back into the consulting field in the years after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 forced three of them to shed their consulting units and now dominate the U.S. consulting market, according to a new report.

The Internal Revenue Service failed to identify and assist all taxpayers who may have been affected by the data breach in its online “Get Transcript” application, according to a new government report.

The Internal Revenue Service has restored the Get Transcript online application that it took down last year, adding improved multi-factor authentication processes to safeguard the program from being exploited by identity thieves.

The average length of time between a new computer being hooked up to the Internet and its being targeted by hackers is six minutes, experts warn -- so it’s critical to establish a defense in depth against cyber-invasion.