The Canada Revenue Agency has temporarily shut its online services due to the Internet security vulnerability named the “Heartbleed Bug.”
Services are expected to resume over the weekend, according to the CRA website.
The online services affected are EFILE, NETFILE, MyAccount, My Business Account and Represent a Client.
We are aware of the Heartbleed Bug and are working hard to ensure our systems remain secure. Daily updates at 3pm at http://t.co/fUQTRiFdML
— CanadaRevenueAgency (@CanRevAgency) April 9, 2014
We’re working to restore online services and currently anticipate that services will resume over the weekend. More at http://t.co/QwpwAXcBfM
— CanadaRevenueAgency (@CanRevAgency) April 9, 2014
Our experts are working around the clock to resolve the situation and continue to protect taxpayer information. http://t.co/QwpwAXcBfM
— CanadaRevenueAgency (@CanRevAgency) April 10, 2014
Impact of Hearbleed
The Heartbleed Bug affects a security software called OpenSSL that is installed on two-thirds of the active servers connected to the Internet.
While the CRA is currently the only government service that has temporarily shut down its services, a wider shutdown of federal government services could be expected, according to the Globe and Mail.
A government official told The Globe that other federal departments are deciding whether to follow in the CRA’s footsteps and shut services temporarily as well.
The official also said that this bug is one of the more serious security flaws uncovered in recent years.
For more information on how the bug works, visit heartbleed.com
