Perspective: Is The IRS Putting Your Private Data At Risk

Reprinted with permission from CNet.com

The Internal Revenue Service already takes your money. As if that weren't painful enough, it also seems that the IRS doesn't adequately protect your private information, according to a recent report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Curious? You should be.

The IRS processes more than 220 million tax returns per year. These returns contain personal financial data and personally identifiable information that includes Social Security numbers. But a recent report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration concludes that hundreds of IRS laptops and other computer devices have been lost or stolen, employees have not properly encrypted data on the devices, and password controls for the laptops have not been adequate.