By Sidney Kess and Walter Primoff
CPA Journal
December 2017 Issue
In the wake of the Equifax computer breach—in which key personal information of 145 million Americans was stolen—it may be correct to assume that anyone with a credit history is affected. In the words of noted cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs, “Assume you’re compromised, and take steps accordingly” (“Fear Not: You, Too, Are a Cybercrime Victim,” KrebsonSecurity.com, Oct. 17, 2017, http://bit.ly/2A67XLX). For professionals, there are broader cybersecurity concerns, as CPA firms of all sizes have recently been hacked, from local firms whose stolen client Social Security numbers were used to divert clients’ IRS tax refunds to firms that have been subject to ransomware extortion.
The purpose of this article is to provide non–technology experts relevant information about the Equifax breach and specific steps CPAs take, and to help CPAs understand basic cybersecurity issues and related federal legal and professional ethics rules.
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Published with permission from the CPA Journal.
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