CovOps
 Location : Ether-Sphere
Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator
Humor : Über Serious
 |  Subject: Best ANCAPS News: Hackers might gain full control of the IRS network  Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:52 pm | |
| ANCAPS hope the hackers destroy the IRS completely and thoroughly! The sooner the batter! Those filthy parasites!
Whoa, I wasn't too happy when I read this Associated Press article "Report: IRS computers leave taxpayer info at risk" by Jim Abrams. It's bad enough I've got to file my tax return like all law abiding citizens, but to learn that Treasury watchdogs don't feel confident about my data remaining secure once it gets into the hands of the IRS, well that just adds insult to injury.
According to this article, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration actually concedes in a report that "a hacker might even "gain full control of the IRS network." Well that really bites. When such doubt is attributable to two sources, it doesn't make me feel too secure.
It's not like we can choose not to conduct business with an organization known to be cavalier with security measures, we are required by law to give up our data to the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service. It's not that we can single out the IRS though, this is just another example in a slew of government agencies that have been shown to have serious security shortcomings.
:Link: |
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CovOps
Location : Ether-Sphere
Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator
Humor : Über Serious
| | Subject: Free Market Fights Back: Phishing attempts targeting the IRS jumped 3,000 percent Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:06 am | |
| Free Market Fights Back: Phishing attempts targeting the IRS jumped 3,000 percent
Great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Attacking the IRS is a growth industry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As tax due date time approaches, criminals are again taking the opportunity to approach consumers with phishing ploys, according to Government Executive.com. The scam involves sending emails, seemingly originating from the IRS, to trick taxpayers into divulging financial information, bank account data and identifying stats. This has been happening for years and in fact in 2006 the IRS even offered an email address victims could use to report these phishing incidents. Tens of thousands of suspect emails were determined to be phishing attempts.
Security vendor Secure Computing points out that between January 2007 and January 2008, phishing attempts targeting the IRS jumped 3,000 percent. It seems the increasingly popular Electronic Federal Tax Payment System is also increasingly being targeted. And they'll jump on any timely events too - like the current brouhaha surrounding the tax stimulus package.
The sad part is that the number of attempts reported are probably really just a small portion of the true total - that's what IRS spokeswoman Michelle Lamishaw says. When you take into account that other tax related sites - tax service businesses and accountants are also being targeted, it's no surprise the numbers are underreported.
It's good to be reminded that the IRS stresses - repeatedly - that they usually don't send unsolicited emails and in the rare cases that they do, they won't be asking you for any account information. Don't be fooled by these predators.
http://blogs.computerworld.com/he_irs_wont_contact_you_by_email
Readers are asked to disregard the idiotic part of the author's commentary, thank you. |
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