E-Filing Security: Protecting Your Sensitive Tax Information

With e-filing in place, it is becoming more accessible for people to manage their tax-related information through the income tax department website. Through this website, taxpayers can do e filing of income tax returns, check the ITR status, and even e-verify their ITR. A lot of sensitive and confidential information goes into that IT account. The best part, the government does offer certain options to safeguard your account. 

Besides keeping a strong password that can’t be easily cracked, you can do certain other things to protect your account and the information. Let’s explore them in this article.

How to Secure Your E-Filing Account?

What else can you do apart from securing your account with a not-so-easy password? Check out the steps below:

1. Click on the higher security webpage of the ITR’s e-filling. Follow the steps below to reach that page.
   1. Login to your e-filing account
   2. Go to the profile setting tab
   3. Click on the e-filing vault
   4. Select higher security

2. You will find the below two options once you select the higher security option.
   1. Login with higher security options – it will let you add an extra layer of security while logging in.
   2. Lock reset password option – It will allow you to change the password without an extra layer of authentication.

3. Click on the login with higher security option, where you will have to pick from one of the below options.
   1. Login through net banking
   2. Login using Aadhaar OTP
   3. Login using DSC (Digital Signature Certificate)
   4. Login using bank account EVC (Electronic Verification Code)
   5. Login using demat EVC (Electronic Verification Code)
4. Choose the option and click on proceed
5. There will be a pop-up informing about the security measure; click okay.
6. You will again reach the page with step 3 mentioned above. Click on Proceed.
7. Once on the next page, you will have to confirm your authentication method by clicking confirm.

Now, if you want to use the lock password reset option instead of the higher security, below are the steps to follow:

1. Click on the higher security webpage of the ITR’s e-filing page. Follow the steps below to reach that page.
   1. Login to your e-filing account
   2. Go to the profile setting tab
   3. Click on the e-filing vault
   4. Select higher security
2. Click on the lock password reset option, where you must pick from one of the below options.
   1. Login through net banking – it is always enabled
   2. Login using Aadhaar OTP
   3. Login using DSC (Digital Signature Certificate)
   4. Login using bank account EVC (Electronic Verification Code)
   5. Login using demat EVC (Electronic Verification Code)
3. Choose the option and click on proceed
4. There will be a pop-up informing about the security measure; click okay.
5. Enter the OTP generated using any of the above methods and click on validate.
6. Click on confirm.

Once as a user, you choose the login with a security option; it will add one more step of authentication to your e-filing account. So, any time when you log in, you will be required to enter the second authentication details post entering your e-filing credentials. 

For all the users who have selected the net banking option, you will have to use the net banking feature of your bank. On that page, you must go to the e-filing option of income tax. Once you select that option, you can see and access your e-filing details.   

Similarly, when you use the lock password reset option, every time you try to reset the password, it will ask you to authenticate the request by entering the OTP generated on the chosen option.

Final Thoughts

Financial details are always very personal and confidential for every individual. Nobody would like the world to know about their finances, and the best way to protect them is by enabling a robust authentication method. Following some simple steps mentioned in the article, you can secure your e-filing account and prevent password hijacking. 

Also read: Tips on Using Credit Cards Wisely