Security News > 2020 > July > US tax service says, “2FA is a must!”

Let me tell you how it will be There's one for you, nineteen for me 'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman Should five per cent appear too small Be thankful I don't take it all 'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman If you drive a car, I'll tax the street If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet 'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman.

You end up with a fraudulent tax return filed against your name; the government ends up with a huge dent in its tax revenues; and the mess can take ages to sort out.

As a result, tax refund scammers can scam in bulk and from afar- they don't need to take the risk of visiting a tax office in person for each taxpayer they want to impersonate.

The public awareness initiative by the IRS, state tax agencies and the private-sector tax industry - working together as the Security Summit - spotlights basic security steps for all practitioners, but especially those working remotely or social distancing in response to COVID-19.

Of the numerous data thefts reported to the IRS from tax professional offices this year, most could have been avoided had the practitioner used multi-factor authentication to protect tax software accounts.

News URL

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/07/29/us-tax-service-says-2fa-is-a-must/