Statement: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 13, 2014) - The President of the Treasury Board issued the following statement:

On April 7, an international Internet security vulnerability named the Heartbleed bug, caused by a flaw in OpenSSL software was detected. OpenSSL is a commonly used software used on the Internet to provide security and privacy on websites such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Yahoo mail.

The following day, the Canada Revenue Agency website was taken offline; service was restored earlier today. In addition, all federal government departments and agencies updated and tested their OpenSSL software and certificates to address this vulnerability. The temporary disruption in service for some Canadians accessing Government of Canada websites is now over.

I can confirm that service has been restored to all publicly accessible Government of Canada websites. Shared Services Canada has played a major role, along with the Treasury Board Secretariat, and other government departments and agencies, in resolving the problem and administering the patch to all vulnerable software.

These steps were taken as part of the Government's continued vigilance in monitoring any potential vulnerabilities and protecting the personal information of Canadians. Robust measures are in place to address vulnerabilities as they arise.

It is recommended Canadians change their internet passwords regularly as part of their online efforts to combat Internet crime.

IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.

TTY (Telecommunications device for the hearing impaired) - (613) 957-9090

This news release is available online at: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca.