How to stay in lockstep with the IRS “Security Six”

As a business owner, maintaining an up-to-date comprehensive security strategy should be one of your top priorities. However, it can sometimes seem difficult to keep up with the ever-changing landscape and thorough protocols suggested by the IRS. One approach to consider is adding Hosting for Intuit Lacerte® Tax and Intuit ProSeries® Tax into your security strategy.

 Essential rules for data security

While the IRS Security Six serve as essential rules for how firms should lay out their strategies for protecting data, they’re really just the beginning.

At face value, each element of the Security Six seems obvious and simple enough:

1. Antivirus software
2. Firewalls
3. Two-factor authentication
4. Backup software services
5. Drive encryption
6. Virtual private network (VPN)

But a closer look reveals that implementing each of those security elements successfully actually requires making critical decisions, planning carefully (with IRS resources such as Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data) and committing to at least some level of investment.

Adding Hosting for Lacerte® Tax and ProSeries® Tax into your security strategy can help firms mitigate the logistical, financial, and legal challenges involved with staying compliant with the security six and keeping client data locked up tight.

It only takes one data breach to eradicate clients’ trust.   Learn more about the IRS Security Six and compliance in this infographic.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published July 7, 2020, and updated with new material on April 6, 2022; the article was also updated on May 8, 2025.

Click the image to download this infographic to pass it along to your staff and clients.