Computer Security Problems Found at IRS

[OhioChick]

Source: Time/CNN

Friday, Aug. 03, 2007
(WASHINGTON)—IRS employees ignored security rules and turned over sensitive computer information to a caller posing as a technical support person, according to a government study.

Sixty-one of the 102 people who got the test calls, including managers and a contractor, complied with a request that the employee provide his or her user name and temporarily change his or her password to one the caller suggested, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, an office that does oversight of Internal Revenue Service. The caller asked for assistance to correct a computer problem.

The report said that by failing to question the identity of the caller the employees were putting the IRS at risk of providing unauthorized people access to taxpayer data that could be used for identity theft and other fraudulent schemes. "This is especially disturbing because the IRS has taken many steps to raise employee awareness of the importance of protecting their computers and passwords," said Inspector General J. Russell George.

Only eight of the 102 employees contacted either the inspector general's office or IRS security offices to validate the legitimacy of the caller.



Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1649553,00.html

[MADem]

1. Every few years they do this, and every few years some idiots do

this, even if they don't know who they're talking to on the phone.

Of course, caller ID probably said US TREASURY DEPT, not UNAVAILABLE, so that bit might not be totally fair.

[Joanne98]

2. MIHOP The IRS has been partially privatized... They're trying to get the rest!

This is being done on purpose. You know the routine. Make an agency incompetent by defunding or sabotage then get the public outraged then propose a solution. Privatize it. BTW! Whenever something is privatized it is instantly MORE EXPENSIVE and the service SUCKS. You can put that in the bank!

[sarcasmo]

6. Joanne98, I agree it will happen eventually and no SSN will be safe.

Kick and Nom.

[Joanne98]

7. Really! Can you imagine what Bushco would do with everybody's SS numbers.

It's too horrible to think about!
:scared:

[sarcasmo]

8. I hate to tell you, Cheney already has access to all of that information.

They do it under Homeland Security.

[midnight]

3. So this agency doesn't have to follow rules either? Does

anyone need to protect the identity of the American people or is it just another way to mine data.

[kestrel91316]

4. In defense of the IRS (or at least some of its employees), I had to feel

sorry for the very nice young man from the IRS who came to audit me earlier this week (yes, I said "nice young man from the IRS"). He will be leaving, in all likelihood, very soon to go work in Phoenix (just got his MBA) for somebody other than the IRS.

He complained about their computer system, and how the new improved system failed completely in 2002, and I told him I though it was shameful how we could find hundreds of billions to bomb a Third World country but couldn't find money to provide a decent computer system for IRS accountants. I mean, really - they are TRYING TO DO THE JOB THEY ARE PAID BY US TO DO, and the Republican freaks won't let it happen. He agreed with me.

The audit went very favorably, BTW. He practically apologized for inconveniencing me, and for the fact that an error I pointed out to him was going to result in a small assessment of increased taxes.

There are some GOOD people at the IRS. Just thought it needed saying.

[ConfidentialStatus]

5. You're right

"There are some GOOD people at the IRS. Just thought it needed saying."

Agreed, I want to thank Joe Banister, John Turner, Sherry Jackson and countless other "ex" IRS employees. The operative word in my reply is in quotes.

[toopers]

9. This is just another reason why we need a national sales tax!

The government does not need our personal information in this day. It is just to easy for someone to take it and use it for unlawful purposes.