The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US has relaunched its Get Transcript online service, which it says is more secure than the previous version.
The service is characterized by being “more rigorous”, the IRS said in an official announcement, with new security features adding additional layers of cybersecurity.
This upgrade is a response to last year’s data breach, which compromised hundreds of thousands of US taxpayers. Get Transcript has been offline since May 2015.
The new e-authentication process is designed to be more thorough, meaning that some individuals “may now find it more difficult to authenticate their identities”.
A factsheet has been developed by the government agency – which is responsible for tax collection and tax law enforcement – to help shine some light on the latest developments.
The IRS stated that its new security measures take onboard the latest industry practices, many of which are utilized by large organizations and financial institutions.
"In the face of that threat, we must provide the strongest possible authentication processes."
One of the most visible changes includes the implementation of two-factor authentication, which is widely respected as an effective security tool.
“The IRS is committed to the protection of taxpayer information and the security of our systems,” commented John Koskinen, commissioner of the IRS.
“Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated and continue to gather vast amounts of personal information as the result of data breaches at sources outside the IRS.
“In the face of that threat, we must provide the strongest possible authentication processes, while trying to enhance the ability of taxpayers to legitimately access their data and use IRS services online.”
