HMRC is advising agents and accountants to update old Windows operating systems such as Windows 7 to ensure that client data is protected and cannot be breached by hackers, stressing that under HMRC Agent Standards advisers are responsible for protecting clients' data and confidentiality
In the latest Agent Update, HRMC stresses the potential risks to data confidentiality particularly if advisers are using old operating systems, such as Windows 7 which now has limited support from Microsoft.
There are issues for accounting practices who use legacy IT software systems which are not supported by newer operating systems so this is a timely warning to review IT systems and set out an IT migration programme, particularly as HMRC moves towards full digitisation of tax compliance, starting with digital VAT reporting from April 2019.
Protecting the security and confidentiality of client data will become even more important from May 2018 when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force, which will strengthen data protection rules and put a greater onus on the data holder to protect the information and ensure that it is not vulnerable to data breaches.
Newer operating systems, such as Windows 10, have more security features that make it far more difficult for attackers to compromise.
Windows 7 was launched in 2009 and is nearing the end of its life and firms using the old operating system should consider updating their systems before support is withdrawn completely in 2020.
Microsoft stopped mainstream support for Windows 7 in 2015 and security updates will end in January 2020.
‘Malicious software has significantly increased in sophistication and volume since 2009 and the threats are very different today,’ HMRC said. ‘This does not mean Windows 7 is not safe. And while security updates are still being released and applied, it should be resilient to common attacks.’
For Windows 7 users, Microsoft offers an Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) which can protect Windows 7 further with some of the advanced security features found in Windows 10. If agents are still running Windows 7 and have an IT team able to configure EMET, it is certainly worth considering.
Windows 7 needs to be upgraded before January 2020, when Microsoft will stop fixing security holes, leaving remaining Windows 7 users at significant risk.