Data Theft Prevention for Tax Professionals

Tax Professionals are trusted with highly sensitive financial and personal information, making them frequent targets for cybercriminals and data thieves. This workshop is designed to help tax professionals better understand today’s security risks and strengthen safeguards used to protect client data. By the end of the session, participants will have a stronger understanding of how:

• Implement practical security steps to protect client information
• Recognize common scams and threats targeting tax professionals
• Understand the role and essential elements of the Written Information Security Plan
• Navigate the IRS data breach reporting process

Anika Pompey

Anika Pompey is a Senior Stakeholder Liaison with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Washington, DC. As a Stakeholder Liaison, she is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with tax practitioners, business organizations, and other audiences for the purpose of providing education and outreach on IRS policies, practices, and procedures.

Prior to becoming a Senior Stakeholder Liaison, Anika held the position of Tax Compliance Officer (TCO). In this role, she planned and conducted examinations of individual income tax returns. She has also served as an On-the-Job Instructor for TCO trainees, and she completed the Frontline Leadership Readiness Program. Anika held the position of TCO for 7 years before becoming a TCO Group Manager. Anika has also held the position of Contact Representative where she was responsible for assisting customers with their tax accounts. Overall, Anika’s IRS career spans more than 20 years.

Al Page

Alfred “Al” Page Jr. is a Senior Stakeholder Liaison with the Internal Revenue Service. He is responsible for performing outreach and education to industry, association, and tax practitioner partners regarding resources, guidance, and authoritative information available at IRS. Prior to his role as Stakeholder Liaison, he served as a Tax Law Specialist in the Exempt Organization business unit. He is classified as a subject matter expert in tax exempt organizations, specifically 501(c)(7) organizations, and Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT).

Al has served as a full-time and an adjunct Accounting and Para-legal professor for over 27 years at various colleges in Maryland. He has also served in various accounting and tax management and executive positions in non-profit and private financial institutions. He is a CPA with the State of Maryland and has litigated a variety of legal and tax issues. He earned a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Finance from University of Baltimore and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Towson University.