Tax Security 2.0: The Taxes-Security-Together Checklist

It seems like everyone is getting on-board with Cyber Security and for good reason.  Bad-actors (Hackers) are getting more and more sophisticated and we as business owners need to make a change.  Bad-actors know how to get around most of the tools we use to stop them because the tools are so out-dated.  Anti-virus and firewalls have been around for over 30 years without much change to the process of stopping attacks.  The biggest reason is because from the beginning Security was never about having a set-it-and-forget-it mindset, this is wrong, we need to have a layered approach to security, and this is what’s missing, especially in small businesses.

Most small businesses have the mindset “if I get the latest antivirus and firewall I’m good” or “my IT provider has me covered“.  These are all wrong thinking, you need to have the mindset that they can get in, and they may already be in and I just don’t know it yet.  Usually when a ransomware attack happens, it is after a hackers has already been in your system for a while,  the ransomware is their parting gift.  You must create policies and procedures that you continuously evaluate at least every six months.  You also need to continuously train your employees, not just a annual training, that doesn’t work anymore.  Every 39 seconds there is an attempt to break into a computer and these attacks are performed by sophisticated AI robots, not individuals, so they never tier, so you must put you best foot forward.

The IRS has created Tax Security 2.0 – A “Taxes-Security-Together” Checklist

Leaders from the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry today called on tax professionals nationwide to take time this summer to review their current security practices, enhance safeguards where necessary and take steps to protect their businesses from global cybercriminal syndicates prowling the Internet. 

Take a look at this video and see how the IRS is stepping in and urging Tax professionals of all sizes to take this serious.

It is starting to become the LAW, no more are the days of just installing an antivirus and hope for the best.  Now the government is starting to step in and force companies to do more, to step up your efforts and if you don’t there are hefty fines to pay and in some cases like HIPAA, jail time.

So I urge all of my fellow business owner, office manager and alike, take this seriously, do just think that this will just pass someday, because it won’t, it’s getting worse.