“These six steps are simple actions that anyone can take,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “The important thing to remember is that every tax professional, whether a sole practitioner or a partner in a large firm, is a potential target for cybercriminals. No tax business should assume they are too small or too smart to avoid identity thieves.”

• * Create a data security plan
• * Educate yourself on phishing scams
• * Recognize the signs of client data theft
• * Create a data theft recovery plan, and call the IRS immediately