IRS tightens controls to protect Federal Tax Information
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in partnership with the Federation of Tax Administrators, Tactical Advisory Group Securities Subcommittee (TAG SS), has improved its efforts to increase the level of security to safeguard Federal Tax Information (FTI) by revising Publication 1075, Tax Information Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies and Entities. TAG SS is a joint state/IRS group established to improve stakeholder relations and focused on the integration of security-related issues to update Publication 1075. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration also provided significant input.
Publication 1075 provides standards and guidelines for protecting the confidentially of information agencies, agents and contractors received from the IRS. These updates, coupled with existing requirements, enable the IRS to more consistently apply these standards throughout the safeguards operation.
The newly revised Publication 1075, became available to agencies either through IRS.gov or through the Internal Revenue Service’s forms distribution sites on December 14, 2007, and was effective as of that date.
One item that may be of immediate impact to agencies is the due date and submission protocol for the Safeguard Activity Reports described in Section 7 of Publication 1075.
The IRS updated certain requirements for protecting FTI by using the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53, Recommended Security for Federal Information Systems, for the moderate impact level.
The revised publication includes new guidance for trading partners to submit correspondence, reports and attachments via the Internet, using approved encryption. This means quicker and easier reporting in a safe and secure electronic environment.
The IRS also added new contact information for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Recommendations on how to become compliant with the new requirements
Given the significant changes in technical safeguards requirements found in Sections 4, 5 and 6, the IRS has some recommendations for agencies to become compliant with the new requirements.
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