1. Security H Riggert Modified Topics: Basic Security & security tips
Firewalls
Anti-virus
Passwords
Malware: Phishing & Ransomware
And specific malware Prevention
H Riggert Modified
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

2. Security in Tax-Aide
Unintentional disclosure of private information continues to rise
The security of taxpayer accounts and personal information is a top priority for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program.
It is the Program’s responsibility as an Authorized IRS e-file Provider to have security systems in place to prevent unauthorized access to taxpayer accounts and personal information by third parties
-Major data breaches over the last few years (IRS fafsa/ Gmail/Docusign/bluecross-blue shield(80)/Equifax(143), the SEC, FedEx, Aetna) {tech crunch}
-Identity theft:
According to Javelin Strategy, the number of identity theft victims in the US rose to 16.7 million in The cost of all of that lost data amounts to over nearly $17 billion. ... The security firm found that over 1 million children were ID theft victims in 2017.
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

3. Security in Tax-Aide
For victims of identity theft, consequences can last for years; causing financial problems, credit issues, benefit losses, and legal problems.
Cost to the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program reputation and the good work that you all do.
Protecting the organization and the volunteer are top priorities
Data collected at sites is perfect for identity thieves
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

4. A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private computer network
A firewall will not protect you from viruses and other malware. ... If you want to truly protect your computer from potential threats, have a firewall and antivirus program installed on your computer
Antivirus software is a class of program designed to prevent, detect and remove malware infections on individual computing devices, networks and IT systems.
Antivirus software usually performs these basic functions:
Scanning directories or specific files for known malicious patterns indicating the presence of malicious software;
Allowing users to schedule scans so they run automatically;
Allowing users to initiate new scans at any time; and
Removing any malicious software it detects. Some antivirus software programs do this automatically in the background, while others notify users of infections and ask them if they want to clean the files.
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

5. Other Security Topics
There is more on the importance of security, Windows updates, passwords on computers and TaxSlayer, document storage, phishing, malware, ransomware, and recent security attacks, but I am not covering those now.
These discussions are in the SMT version of the Security Presentation: “2018 SMT TCS Training Security.pptx”
But remember that “compliance is not security”
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

6. Requirements for routers
Routers should have following capabilities:
Provide a consistent, reliable and predictable solution that is affordable
802.11n standard
WPA2 Security Mode with AES encryption
WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) capability to use public WiFi
Ability to set LAN IP address
Ability to set range of dynamic addresses for computers
Firmware updated during the calendar year of the tax year
2018 SMT/TCS Training - Kansas City

7. NTC-supported routers (1)
For Wired connection to the site, 2.4 GHz WiFi
Netgear WNR2020
For Wired connection to the site, 2.4 GHz & 5GHz WiFi
Netgear WNDR3400
For 2.4GHz WISP and 2.4GHz WiFi
TPLink TP-WR802n, TP-WR810n, Netgear WNR  GWU627
For 2.4GHz WISP and 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi
Netgear WNDR GWU627
2018 SMT/TCS Training - Kansas City

8. NTC-supported routers (2)
For wired or 2.4GHz or 5GHz WISP and 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi + Captive Portal
Edimax BR-6208AC V2
For wired or 2.4GHz or 5GHz WISP and 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi + Captive Portal
Edimax BR-6478AC V2
NOTE! Some of the above do not meet router requirements with firmware versions of 2017 or earlier.
2018 SMT/TCS Training - Kansas City

9. Routers are to be checked for the VPNFilter malware
Run the Symantec tool to verify if the router is infected with the VPNFilter malware.
Submit a ticket through OneSupport with the model/make information if the router is infected.
Any router that can not be updated with firmware should not be used. A list of Not Recommended routers is on the Portal/Libraries/Technology
New routers may be purchased with the permission of the RC/SC.
2018 SMT/TCS Training - Kansas City

10. Setup documents to be available on OneSupport (1)
Printers
HP P1102w
HP Pro M102w
Client Devices
IOGEAR GWU627
TP-Link WR802n in client mode
Routers
Netis WEF2411
TP-Link WR802n
TP-Link WR810n
Netgear WNR2020
Netgear WNDR3400
Edimax BR-6208AC V2
Edimax BR-6478AC V2
2018 SMT/TCS Training - Kansas City

11. Net Agent Reports WiFi Data
Net Agent Data is available for 80 Sites.
Sites which use IRS computers do not have the Net Agent software on their computers
Data includes: #Connections to network, # Connections through secure WiFi, # Connections through insecure WiFi, and # Connections wired to the network.
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

12. Net Agent Reports WiFi Data
4632 Total Connections, 3941 secure WiFi, 418 insecure WiFi = 9% insecure.
Sites with insecure Connections: 1368 Total, 838 Secure, 418 Insecure = 31% insecure.
Sites with > 30% Insecure: 574 Total, 180 Secure, 377 Insecure = 66% insecure.
Sites with > 90% Insecure: 216 Total, 6 Secure, 210 Insecure = 97% insecure. There are 8 Sites in this category.
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

13. Security Policy Info Read the following Sections of the Policy Manual
Section 8: Confidentiality and Security of Taxpayer Data
It is divided into four sections
Data Security
Physical Security
Reporting a loss
Section 9: E-Filing of Tax Returns
Section 14: Equipment and Records Management
Section 15: Obtaining Equipment and Consumables
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

14. Preventing Phishing Attacks
Consistent software updates
Continuous User Education & Exercise
Filter Suspicious Attachments
Filter on Malicious URLs
Continually Promote good credential behavior (2FA:two factor authentication & diverse passwords)
Report personal attacks to U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Compliant Assistant form.
How to Prevent Phishing Attacks
The following suggestions are designed to prevent and disarm phishing attacks from succeeding:
Continuous User Education and Exercise
Transform all users (from the CEO on down) into one of your best assets in the fight against phishing attacks. Involve users in periodic security awareness training and education (as well as re-education) on how to identify and avoid phishing scams, complemented with regular, unannounced phishing “exercises” to reinforce and apply what they’ve learned. This will ensure users have up-to-date awareness on the latest phishing attacks and actually do what they should when they come across one.
Filter Suspicious Attachments
Remove and quarantine incoming attachments known to be utilized in malicious ways before they reach your users.
Filter on Malicious URLs
Quarantine messages that contain malicious URLs. Similarly, make sure to safely resolve any URLs from link shorteners (e.g. bit.ly, goo.gl, etc.) to ensure they don’t resolve to malicious URLs.
In an attempt to bypass filters, some attackers will send a phishing message that contains no text in the body and one large picture (in which the picture itself contains text, which will be ignored by some filter technology). Newer “character recognition”-based filter technology can detect these messages and filter on them.
Promote Good Credential Behavior
Use multifactor authentication – One of the most valuable pieces of information attackers seek are user credentials
Disallow weak passwords.
Enforce recurring password changes for users.
If your users are currently only using a single level of authentication, consider moving them to a two-step verification (2SV) or two-factor authentication (2FA; even better than 2SV) solution.
Hover over links to see the web address
Report personal attacks to U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Compliant Assistant form.
2018 TCS SMT Training - KC

15. 2018 TCS SMT Training - KC