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IRS Announces Security Webinar

IRS Announces Security Webinar

Tax Security 2.0: A Tax Pro’s Security Checklist attendees can earn 2 CPE credit hours!

The Internal Revenue Service will be hosting the “Tax Security 2.0: A Tax Pro’s Security Checklist” live webinar on Thursday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The agency says that attendees will learn data-security strategies, including important types of security applications and identity-theft spotting tips for tax pros.

In the official flyer advertising the event, the IRS lists five specific security topics, including a “live Q&A” session:

  • Outline the “Security Six” basic protections
  • Create a written data security plan
  • Educate yourself on phishing scams
  • Recognize the signs of client data theft
  • Create a data theft recovery plan

The signup page notes that attendees “will also hear from [two tax professionals] who will share their data breach experiences”—helping drive home the need for a robust prevention plan, as well as a strategy for handling a data breach.

Signing up for the webinar is simple. Just go to the IRS “webcaster” page for Tax Security 2.0: A Tax Pro’s Security Checklist. First-time webinar attendees will need to create an account, which means having some information handy, like your full name, email address, and PTIN. After hitting Submit, you will need to check the email address you provided to confirm your registration.  

Want an example of a written data security plan?

While not noted in the ad or signup page, remember that all tax professionals are required to have a written data security plan for their office. Since the IRS is going to specifically address how to build an effective written plan, the webinar will have you covered on that front. That said, if you would like an additional example, check out the sample tax office security plan on Taxing Subjects.

Ryan Norton

Whether designing superheroes, penciling caricatures, or just doodling, I always knew I was going to earn some sort of art degree while in college. That was my goal before I decided to trade Edgar Degas for Edgar Allan Poe during a Freshman English class. The BA in English soon morphed into a double-major in English and Philosophy, eventually becoming an MA in English. It only makes sense that I learned of a writing opportunity for a local marketing firm while teaching a first-year college English course. Before I knew it, I was writing and editing tax-related articles for Taxing Subjects, and this has been my home since 2014.