taxwise online (two)

1NTC TCS Training Dallas 2010

TaxWise Online (TWO)

Practical Notes and TWO Wireless


To Be Considered

User IDs and Passwords TaxWise Online Setup Networking & Internet Access Printing Performance Wireless for TWO - Restrictions


User IDs and Passwords

TWO setup requires individual IDs and passwords

Passwords: Min 8 characters, upper and lower case, numbers, and special characters – forced change after 3 months

Last season most users locked themselves out of their accounts many times 3 attempts and an account is locked

Significant administration burden for “Admin” users multiple IDs for Volunteers at multiple sites



Recommend common format for IDs, e.g. with some form of volunteer name

Generic user IDs at each site, if needed Substitutes

Have multiple Superusers per site Users can reset their own password

but often run into issues doing it Some districts took the traditional

desktop approach of 1 user ID per site to get around all the issues Not Recommended



Good Security and User ID management critical for TWO

Particularly, must remember to disable “no longer active” user IDs

Prior year tax returns remain “forever” available

The idea of “Clear Taxpayer Data” is not needed in TWO unless reports are saved



Have the preparers write down theirClient IDs, User IDs, and passwords - List to be kept away from computers

Historically regarded as bad practice

BUT – in general people are good about the security of wallets or pocket books

Our volunteers, in general, will not remember passwords, client IDs, and user IDs particularly for multiple sites


Admin User

Root user on each EFIN

Senior site person

Each EFIN should have an additional Admin person

Splitting workload is recommended Tax form setup and defaults User setup, administration User help (never ending)


TaxWise Online Setup

Each EFIN (or site) has a single list of users but several different websites Twonline.TaxWise.com (current year) Twonline.TaxWise.com/training Twonline.TaxWise.com/09 (08,07 etc)

Each of these websites maintains its own tax defaults and print packets Each year the training and regular site have to

be manually setup for each EFIN



Each EFIN/Site User ID list and permissions have to be setup individually Return preparer, super user, admin, etc. Choose lowest possible permission level May assign multiple roles

Requires on-going maintenance

See the TW CD, Pub 3189 and TaxWise Online Help for additional instructions on setup


Desktop usage

A TWO EFIN/Reg Code cannot be used in Desktop Taxwise for Tax return prep

National recommends each TWO district maintain 1 desktop EFIN (e.g. for shutins)

Training Scenarios Prefilled returns State return training


Networking & Internet Access

Internet Access from hosting Organization Use a router to isolate AARP Tax-Aide

systems from host’s network Switches only used on the Tax-Aide side of the router

Do NOT use a switch to connect to the host’s network This would allow all the AARP Tax-Aide systems

to be visible on the host’s network Start working connection issues early

Most City or library networks have idiosyncrasies requiring local IT intervention



Windows Make sure the Windows Firewall is started on all

systems Remove all file and printer sharing – particularly

important if the system has been used in TaxWise Desktop networks

Up-to-date with regard to Windows updates

Anti-Malware These systems are on the internet

Their anti-malware software must be up to date and regularly updated during tax season



Windows User Consider configuring the windows user (e.g.

Volunteer) as a “limited user” TWO works just fine Limited users (and therefore any malware) cannot

install or update any software on the system

Doing this requires that there be another Windows Admin user on the system If volunteer is running as a limited user the admin

user password has to be entered whenever updates are done


Printing

Network Printing is best Printer directly attached to network is best

Purchase a used print server if printer has no internal print server

Using Windows shared printers opens (a potential) security hole

For sites that use separate system/person for QR and printing, a printer attached to the QR station works well


Performance

The 800 Kb/s requirement is realistic

Much below this and productivity seriously suffers, although returns can be done

If the internet access has a significant “lost packet” rate it will be impossible to do returns Due to lost connections Due to returns that do not get saved properly


Performance TY 2009

CCH had serious issues Slowdowns during peak periods Lost connections

Symptoms from Tax Preparer viewpoint Having to start a mostly completed return over Having to wait an interminable time for saving

and/or new form opening Usual fix was “refresh (F5)”, restart the browser, or

wait 5 to 10 minutes


Summary

TWO does not require an initial computer setup and TW updates as required by Desktop TaxWise

TWO is different and requires different setup procedures than desktop TaxWise

Despite differences and issues

Very few who have tried TWO want to go back to TaxWise Desktop


TWO Wireless Restrictions

Can use Site Wireless, but separate router recommended – Needs cable to Site router

AARP router should have firewall and WPA2 encryption. Default SSID (Service Set IDentifier) should be changed and not include AARP, TCE, IRS, or tax preparation.

Can use AARP Purchased and IRS computers, but most IRS computers are not wireless

File and printer sharing off – A network printer works best

AARP can not buy wireless cards for IRS laptops


Wireless TWO for TaxWise 2010

NEW: Personal, donated and site provided computers require two simple on-line security scans to qualify for use.

Symantec Security Scan (scans for malware & general vulnerability to hackers) http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp - Do not download Norton Security Scan

You must capture an image of this scan result and register each computer on a web site to be established

Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI), (ensures that security related programs are up to date) http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/?task=intro

Symantec installs a “Security Check component”. It does not recognize Microsoft Security Essentials as anti-virus.



This is a draft layoutfor the web page toregister eachcomputer


Questions???

taxwise online (two)

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