This week is National Tax Security Awareness week and with that the IRS partnered with Security Summit to provide people with a list of tips for staying safe as tax season approaches.

The list includes tips for tax payers and tax professionals like: Using multi-factor authentication to protect your account if using tax software, using a Virtual Private Network if working or filing remotely.

Individuals can also sign up for the IRS IP PIN program which allows them to set a six digit pin number for protecting their identity and tax filings. It also includes knowledge on potential scams that tend to increase around tax time.

One of these scams is called “Spearphishing” where identity thieves will call tax professionals posing as clients trying to get them to reveal personal information.

As a tax payer you should make sure any company filing on your behalf has a written data security plan, as required by federal law.