Cybersecurity and The Written Information Security Plan
Author: A.J. Reynolds
| CPE Credit: |
2 hours for CPAs
2 hours Federal Tax Related for EAs and OTRPs
2 hours Federal Tax Law for CTEC |
Per the IRS Education Provider Standards this course must be COMPLETED by 12/31/2028 to receive credits. NOTE: Go to My Professional Profile in your CCH CPELink account settings to ensure your name, and PTIN number; matches your PTIN card
You may have already experienced a cybersecurity breach and not even be aware of it. According to the Ponemon Institute report, on average it takes firms 212 days to discover their business was hacked. Statistics highlight that we are more likely to experience a data breach than we are to catch the flu. The question is, “not if, but when” you will be targeted. This course addresses scams, threats, prevention, data security requirements and steps to take in the aftermath of a breach. The smaller your firm is, the more imperative it is to attend this course.
The Gramm-Leach-Biley (GLB) Act of 1999 requires companies defined under the law as “financial institutions” to ensure the security and confidentiality of this type of information. The “financial institutions” definition includes professional tax preparers. Paid tax return preparers must have a data security plan {WISP} and system security protections for all taxpayer information. You must check a box confirming that you aware of this responsibility before finalizing your PTIN renewal process.
Confidentiality, integrity, and availability are duties of the tax professional community to protect our clients’ information from disclosure to third parties and threat from cyber-attacks.
Publication Date: October 2025
Designed For
All Tax Professionals no matter what types of clients you prepare tax returns for.
Topics Covered
- IRS Security Six
- Written Information Security Plan
- IRS Publication 5708, 5709, and 4557
- Cyber Insurance
- Identify distinct threats to your tax practice
Learning Objectives
- Explain how to verify the security of your firm’s data
- Explain how to analyze the IRS Security Six
- Identify IRS publication to assist your tax practice with Security Plans
- Describe Written Information Security Plans (WISP)
- Describe the importance of Cybersecurity
- Identify the current estimated number of internet users
Level
Basic
Instructional Method
Self-Study
NASBA Field of Study
Taxes (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites
None
Advance Preparation
None
