Training built for the FTC Safeguards Rule and tax-season fraud
CPA and tax preparation firms sit squarely under the FTC Safeguards Rule, and tax season brings a predictable wave of IRS-impersonation and W-2 phishing attempts. Cyberwareness gives small firms a training program sized for a lean team, without the enterprise security-vendor overhead.
What CPA and tax firm staff actually face
- IRS-impersonation emails and calls demanding immediate payment or threatening legal action, aimed at both staff and clients.
- W-2 phishing targeting payroll and HR-adjacent staff during tax season, requesting bulk employee data under a trusted-looking internal sender name.
- Client document-sharing phishing that mimics portals clients already use to upload sensitive tax documents.
- Business email compromise targeting firms that process client payments or handle trust account transfers.
- Seasonal staff and interns brought on for tax season with little to no prior security training.
FTC Safeguards Rule & IRS Publication 4557
The FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR 314.4(e)) requires covered financial institutions, which includes many tax preparers, to train personnel to implement their information security program. IRS Publication 4557 sets related data-safeguarding expectations for tax professionals. The general training obligation is confirmed; verify current paragraph lettering on ftc.gov, since the Rule has been amended, before citing an exact section to a client or examiner.
See our other US page: dental & medical practices →Frequently asked questions
Does this training satisfy the FTC Safeguards Rule training requirement?
It is built to support the "train personnel to implement your information security program" requirement under 16 CFR 314.4(e). We recommend confirming your firm's full written information security program, and the current Rule text, with your own compliance advisor, since training is one required element among several.
Do you cover W-2 phishing specifically?
Yes. CORE-24 (US Spotlight: IRS/W-2 and Tax-Season Scams) is built specifically for payroll, HR, and tax-season staff.
Can we train seasonal tax-season staff quickly?
Yes. All-Staff Core is about 100 minutes total and designed to be completed in a new hire's first 30 days, which fits a seasonal onboarding window.