We continue highlighting the “Protect Your Clients, Protect Yourself,” a five-week campaign put on by the Security Summit and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Last week, the annual campaign focused on various scams. Warnings were issued about scammers who often use email, text messages, deceptive caller IDs, and computer-generated calls to lure victims into sharing sensitive financial information or PIN numbers.
Week two of the campaign is focusing on phishing scams and what the scams might look like. The IRS’s “Security Six” protections are designed to protect sensitive data and prevent cyber-attacks which include the following essential safeguards: Anti-virus software, firewalls, Two-factor authentication, backup software or services, drive encryption, and virtual private network.
Why This Matters to SPSGZ Clients: Tax reporting and stock plan administration require the collection and transmission of highly sensitive information, including taxpayer identification numbers (TINs), Social Security numbers, addresses, compensation data, and financial account information. Cybercriminals specifically target organizations involved in information reporting because of the valuable data they maintain. Implementing the IRS’s “Security Six” safeguards can help reduce the risk of phishing attacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access while protecting your organization from potential IRS penalties, regulatory issues, reputational damage, and the significant costs associated with responding to a security incident.
Highlights of Upcoming Weeks:
- Week three: Create a security plan.
- Week four: Tools to help Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself.
- Week five: Signs of identity theft and reporting theft.
SPS/GZ, is a full-service tax reporting firm that provides personalized service and exceptional support, utilizing state-of-the-art technology to business clients of all sizes. We create and e-file Forms 1098-T, 1042-S, and 1099 online filing, Affordable Care Act tax forms, and Forms 3921 and 3922. Our complete and affordable solution allows administrators to simply upload their tax form data file to our secure portal in a few simple steps and we handle everything else to keep your organization compliant. Our clients trust SPS/GZ’s proprietary, interactive portal, spsgzXchange, which utilizes highly secure, robust, and user-friendly technology. For more information, reach out to us at sales@greenzapato.com or call at (888)375-3049. Contact us today!
