TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) said on Sunday that it has resumed all its online services after taking down some applications for nearly two days due to a security threat.
“We took this action as a precaution, not as the result of a successful hack or breach,” CRA, Canada’s federal tax agency, said in a statement.
CRA said it took the step after it became aware on Friday of an “internet vulnerability” affecting some computer servers used by websites worldwide. It did not make clear the nature of the threat.
Canadians have until May 1 to file their income tax returns and benefits, which makes the current period a busy one with online users.
CRA said it could not immediately comment on the seriousness of the threat or whether this was the first time its services had been taken off line due to security concerns.
The agency said it worked with other government departments over the past 48 hours to implement a solution. “We are now confident that the solution has been rigorously and successfully tested and services returned online,” the statement added.
(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by Sandra Maler and Will Dunham)