Tom Russ has brought us visions of too many bogeyman.
Many of the potential problems he envisages are present when filing paper returns. I remember having a check lost at the IRS because of their request not to staple it to the return. Once a paper return goes through data entry, whether automatic or manual, you have the exact problems of data integrity. What does the IRS do to overcome their head crashes? It has to be more expensive to handle a paper return made out by writing a pen than the most expensive computer system I was talking about.
If you are online connected to a web page using https you have adequate security. Moreover, when you are done, you can download a copy of what was recorded at the IRS to make sure of what IRS recorded. These are cheaper ways than using fax. I am truly believing that lobbyists are pushing to make laws and rules that allow them to extract more than necessary from taxpayers. Is Government up to doing such shabby things. You bet! Just look at all the sops to Pharma in Medicare part D.
Bill