Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

CRA online services back in business following Heartbleed scare

OTTAWA – The federal tax agency says its online services are up and running again after it blocked public access five days ago due to the so-called Heartbleed bug.

The Canada Revenue Agency says the security risk has been addressed, but added it will not apply interest or penalties to individual taxpayers filing their 2013 tax returns after April 30 for a period equal to the length of the service interruption.

Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay says that means 2013 tax returns filed by May 5 will not incur interest or penalties.

The CRA has apologized to Canadians for the delay and inconvenience, but added it was necessary to ensure the agency’s online services were safe and secure.

The Heartbleed bug is caused by a flaw in OpenSSL software, which is commonly used on the Internet to provide security and privacy.

The bug is affecting many global IT systems in both private and public sector organizations and has the potential to expose private data.

News from © The Canadian Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.