NEWPORT — Salve Regina University’s Pell Center has been awarded a $130,000, three-year grant from the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights to provide tax preparers with awareness about cybersecurity. The training, according to a university press release, will be provided in IRS tax forums across the nation.
More and more, tax professionals and smaller businesses that handle tax information are targets in data breaches, phishing scams and cyber intrusions; last year the IRS launched a campaign to educate tax preparers on these threats. According to the press release, fewer than 30 percent of tax professionals actually have written plans in place to counter such attacks or require mandated training.
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“Protecting taxpayers and strengthening the integrity of the U.S. tax system has to be a team effort,” said Pell Center Senior Fellow Francesca Spidalieri. “While cyber risks, as with all risks, cannot be completely eliminated, they can be managed through informed decision-making processes, careful planning, workforce training, and appropriate allocation of resources.”
The Pell Center at Salve Regina University is a multi-disciplinary research center on campus.
“We’re delighted to work with the Pell Center,” said Stephen M. Ryan, counsel to ACTR. “ACTR is committed to pro-actively working with the IRS and state revenue departments to strengthen the tax administration system from cyber-attacks, and to prevent stolen identity tax-refund fraud.”
ACTR was formed in 2011 by retail tax-preparation and tax-software companies and financial institutions to advocate for taxpayer rights. The organization is based in Washington, D.C.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributor.
