Tax agents really know how to account for everything! But are you accounting for a cyber security incident?

We're seeing a significant rise in business email compromise (BEC) targeting tax agents. In these cyber attacks, a staff member's email account is taken over and used to send convincing emails to colleagues or external contacts. The emails often contain malicious links or requests for money or sensitive information.

Attackers often impersonate trusted contacts to get inside other organisations. These scams can be persuasive - causing serious financial and reputational harm.

To help prevent cyber attacks, you can:

• make sure your agency is prepared by developing and regularly testing an incident response plan
• report suspicious emails or unusual activity immediately - quick reporting is critical to limiting damage.

Helpful resources

ncsc.govt.nz (National Cyber Security Centre) 

own your online.govt.nz | Tiakina tō mana tuihono

Forward phishing emails to [email protected] 

If you’re unsure, you can ask our Cybersecurity Team [email protected]