The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Security Summit partners have wrapped up their annual “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” summer educational campaign.
The fourth week focused on essential security tools, highlighting multi-factor authentication (MFA), Identity Protection PINs (IP PINs), IRS Online Accounts, and Tax Pro Accounts to block unauthorized access and fraud. Tax professionals were warned to take strict security measures to protect against evolving phishing variants. Reinforcing multi-factor authentication as a strict rule rather than a recommendation was encouraged. All personnel should complete annual cyber and data security training, supplemented by ongoing threat-awareness communications from management.
Should a cybersecurity event take place, stakeholders need to be immediately notified, reporting compromised Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) or Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs) to the IRS. A staff briefing on emergency incident response playbook tasks and communication protocols need to be reviewed on an annual basis.
The fifth week focused on the federal requirement for tax professionals to maintain a Written Information Security Plan (WISP) to safeguard sensitive client data against rising cyber threats. Staff are to immediately identify and report any unexpected client data requests, unverified e-file rejections, or strange client account activity. Swift action is needed to contain and preserve system logs, while notifying internal IT teams or external forensic experts. Reporting responsibilities should include fast-tracking notifications to the IRS stakeholder liaisons, state tax agencies via the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA), and law enforcement, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) local field offices.
In summary, the key focus areas of the 2026 “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” Campaign follow:
- Written Information Security Plan (WISP) reminds practitioners that federal law mandates a formal security plan, risk assessments, and safeguard testing.
- Core Weekly Themes covered emerging scams targeting tax pros, phishing recognition, multi-factor authentication, and data theft incident response.
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, 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!
