The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre are sharing guides and resources to help tax agents protect and strengthen their cyber security and protect personal information.
The ATO said regular updates are critical to maintaining secure systems as cyber criminals hack devices by using known weaknesses in systems or apps.
They advise agents to check their devices for updates and turn on automatic updates so that future updates are made straight away when charging and connected to Wi-Fi.
It’s also essential to turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) — a security measure that requires at least two proofs of identity to grant access. MFA options can include a physical token, random pin or fingerprint.
Backing up data by saving copies of files to an external storage device or an online server like the cloud is also integral to protecting data.
Setting up automatic backups in system or application settings means not having to remember to manually back up devices on a regular basis.
Tax agents can also improve their lines of defence by ensuring their tax practice exercises additional care and due diligence, including following the Tax Practitioner Board’s proof of identity requirements for client verification. Strong client verification helps to protect tax practitioners, their clients, and Australia’s tax and superannuation systems from misuse and abuse due to identity theft and related issues.
For more help and advice, go to cyber.gov.au for more detailed guidance or subscribe to alerts to find out more about the latest cyber threats.
