There are only a few days left to get your 2024 taxes done. But even though it's easy to file your federal returns online, easy doesn't always mean safe.
John Joyce, the co-owner of CRS Technology Consultants, joined Gulf Coast News with some cybersecurity tips for you to consider when filing your return.
For generations, people would mail their completed tax returns to the IRS. Online filing pilot programs started in the 1980s, but e-filing became available to everyone in the early 2000s. Today, the IRS says 93% of returns are filed electronically. But as technology has advanced, so have the ways to file your taxes. However, this has also giving criminals the opportunity to steal your information.
The IRS offers a set of tips to protect your information, such as using multi-factor authentication, wiping or destroying old hard drives and computers you used to file tax returns, tracking your activity and not filing your taxes using public Wi-Fi. Also, tax preparers are big targets for cyberattacks because they can host hundreds or even thousands of tax returns on their computers. TurboTax, H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt and other companies all offer software programs for DIYers.
For more information, CRS Technology Consultants has created an online resources page at CRSTC.com .
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