The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) processes confidential information on individuals and businesses. It is part of the United States Department of Treasury. Because it is such a vital part of government operations, one would assume that the IRS computer systems would have the highest security and seek to be impenetrable. However, such is not the case:
“Two new IRS computer systems that will eventually cost taxpayers almost $2 billion are being put into service despite known security and privacy vulnerabilities, a Treasury watchdog said in a report coming out Thursday.
The office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said Internal Revenue Service officials failed to ensure that identified weaknesses had been addressed before putting the new systems into use.”
link: Treasury office faults IRS computer security
Imagine what damage a nation hostile to the United States could do if the security of the IRS was breached. It is unthinkable that a computer system would be implemented at this level without the highest level of security. There should be no identifiable weaknesses.
Catherine Forsythe