*** 13 days left for most people to get the 2024 taxes done here in Florida we got *** little bit of an extension, but. Even though it's easy to file those federal returns online, it doesn't always mean it's safe. This morning our friend John Joyce, co-owner of CRS Technology Consultants, is hanging out with us in studio with some cybersecurity tips to consider as you file your taxes, and, uh, it's interesting to think and maybe not for some of the viewers out here, John. Um, that once upon *** time you actually had to go mail your tax, uh, tax papers exactly, uh, all my adult life, which is just the span of around 20 years, I've always just done it online. But that's still there for the beginning. I was there for the beginning, it's relatively young, I guess in the grand scheme in the grand scheme of things to how people are doing their taxes. So that still means that people are finding new ways to, I guess you should say hack into our, um our accounts and take our information and stuff like that. There are cybersecurity concerns around doing taxes now like not before. Yeah, security should be *** concern no matter what we're doing, and this is not *** new problem. We'll, we'll pick on back when we did go to *** mailbox and mail on *** piece of paper, there was still crime, um. We went to our mailboxes, we put *** stamp on *** letter, and we sent it off and our taxes were paid, except the criminals figured that out and started grabbing stuff out of the mailboxes because then there was your Social Security number and all sorts of other info they needed to open credit cards in your name or open fake bank accounts, all those kinds of things. So people then started taking them to actual blue postboxes that were locked. Security was *** concern. Well, it's no different now when 93% of returns are filed in the US online these days going back to the early 2000s when it really first started to kick in. Um, shocking to think I mean 7% of Americans do still mail them in. That's not *** small number of people, um, but that same concept of security has to be present when we're doing things now just like, OK, I could put this in the mailbox, but it's safer to take it to the locked postbox down the road. Um, if I'm going to file electronically, have I changed my password? Am I using all the right security techniques? If I'm using *** tax professional, have I asked them about their security because they're an actual bigger target than you are as an individual. That's true. I didn't think about it that way. Normally you just want to go seek the help. You don't really. Think about their cybersecurity efforts. I use *** professional, you know, no one wants me to be their plumber, but enough people ask me to fix their technology. Same idea. I shouldn't be doing my own taxes. I have *** phenomenal accountant that does that, and it is one of the first questions that I hold myself accountable to ask what are you doing for for your security? How are you protecting my data? Because I'm one person. If that accountant serves 1000 people or more, they're 1000 times *** larger target, bigger target for sure. What are some red flags people should be on the on the lookout for as they file at home? Think about, you know. Ways to secure your information it's really no different than any other online interaction. So *** lot of this is going to sound familiar to viewers who have heard this bit before. Multi-factor authentication, it should be available on whoever whatever service you're using to file your taxes if you're doing it yourself. If it's not available, find *** different service that that's *** must have. um, so secure your account, change your password every year. Good thing about these taxes are we at least only have to mess with it once *** year for the most part. Still then every year change that password and make it unique. Please don't reuse. Password you used at Target or Walmart or somewhere else because if one of them has *** data breach and your password leaks out online if you use the same password for your taxes you've now handed the hacker *** one way ticket into your account. Interesting based off your expertise and uh in the business and line of work that you do, uh, do you see people turning more towards artificial intelligence uh to do taxes or do you see *** future in which that's going to happen? Well, we're seeing more and more of those tools creep in at the end of the day. None of these tools replace *** human. What they can do is. Ensure that as we're working with tons and tons of data, you know, we're asking these tax professionals especially to do an enormous amount of work and often in *** very, very confined window because all of us say we're gonna get *** jump on our taxes next year. Many of us never do, so we're asking the nigh impossible of our tax professionals so those tools can really help ensure the accuracy of the work they're doing, but it is very, very important to still rely on *** trusted professional that has the experience and the ability to make sure it's being done the right way. What do you think the number one thing people should do, uh, to protect their information? Always think about who has access to your data. So if you're filing online, like I said, use *** reputable source, *** known company, and then do your homework and make sure they're safe. But then think about where that data resides on your own devices. If it's time to get *** new computer this year, make sure the computer you used last year that the hard drive is destroyed properly, make sure you've backed up that data, you know, the the actual whether they're PDFs or if you do still have those old paper returns laying around, get them scanned them. Backed up in *** place where you know if you do need to go get 15 years later that you're gonna be able to get it. Is there *** way people will be able to know those online sources are safe, like say if you're using TurboTax or something along those lines? Ask the right questions, consult *** professional first and foremost, you know, there's companies, you know, we're one of them. There's *** 1000 just like us out there that can help do that homework for you and then if it's *** major brand, they're not immune. They make mistakes. They have breaches, but they have other safety measures in place to. Mitigate those risks. So again, it's really like anything else about doing your homework and being intentional about, you know, the choices you make and where you go to make them. It's the way to do it if people want more information about you and CRS technology consultants, where can they go? Head on over to our website CRSTC.com, our resource page. We talk about there's *** ton on our podcast every week. There's blog posts there, you know, it's all about continuing education and just staying on top of these things. It's amazing because it changes all the time every day, every single day something new to talk about. John, it's always good to see you always. Thanks for coming in, my friend.