This isn't the news you want to hear from the IRS right now.

In the heat of the tax-filing season, a report released this week revealed serious security flaws in the IRS's system that could enable unauthorized users to gain access to taxpayers' confidential information.

The study, by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, reported that a hacker may be able to gain control over the entire IRS network — and without a review process in place, the system could be breached and no one would know it.

Sadly, the mess at the IRS is not new. Two other studies — all within the past three months — also illuminated flaws in the agency's security system. A report from the independent IRS Oversight Board estimated that it would cost $32 million to bring the IRS system up to par to prevent hackers from stealing taxpayers' sensitive information. And a Government Accountability Office study in January also urged security be beefed up immediately to prevent a data breach.

Hello? Is anyone from Congress listening?

It's imperative that taxpayers have confidence in the system — and that means ensuring that the data they are required to provide to government are protected.

IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman will testify before Congress tomorrow about the more than 1,500 tax-time scams going on, where people have been duped into revealing their Social Security numbers and other confidential data either over the Internet or via phone by folks claiming to work for the IRS.

Taxpayers have enough to worry about when it comes to identity theft.

Congress and the Bush administration must insist that the IRS secure its data and hold officials accountable for sensible security upgrades before a serious breach occurs.