Question Period Note: DIGITAL SECURITY
About
- Reference number:
- CRA-2019-QP-00009
- Date received:
- Dec 11, 2019
- Organization:
- Canada Revenue Agency
- Name of Minister:
- Lebouthillier, Diane (Hon.)
- Title of Minister:
- Minister of National Revenue
Issue/Question:
Did the Canada Revenue Agency encounter security issues (breach) with its electronic services?
Suggested Response:
• The Canada Revenue Agency takes the protection of Canadians’ tax information very seriously. The confidence and trust that individuals and businesses have in the Agency is a cornerstone of Canada’s tax system.
• When registering for the secure online services, the Agency must first confirm the identity of the individual before granting access to confidential tax information and services.
• The Agency applies the security requirements, security technology and procedures that are appropriate for the online services being offered.
• If an individual believes their account has been compromised, they are advised to contact the Agency immediately to review their account to identify any unauthorized activity.
Background:
Taxpayers can find the following information on the CRA website.
My Account is a secure portal that lets you view your personal income tax and benefit information and manage your tax affairs online.
My Account is:
• Convenient – It is available 21 hours a day, 7 days a week (see Hours of service).
• Easy to use – After registering, simply log in with your CRA user ID and password.
• Fast – Information is up-to-the-minute and transactions are processed immediately.
• Secure – The CRA user ID and password are just part of the security.
You can also log in with a Sign-in Partner. This option lets you log in with a user ID and password that you may already have, such as for online banking. For more information, see Sign-in Partners Help and FAQs.
Individuals can use My Account. Authorized representatives (including accountants and employees) can access the same services through Represent a Client.
My Account allows you to track your refund, view or change your return, check your benefit and credit payments, view your RRSP limit, set up direct deposit, receive email notifications, and so much more.
Once an individual accesses their secure online account, they are able to:
- View status of tax return,
- Request a remittance voucher,
- Pay by pre-authorized debit (create new agreement)
- Authorize a representative
- Change their direct deposit information.
The Agency can confirm that there has not been a breach to its systems or any technical issue which would allow a third party to access and modify another taxpayer’s information.
Actual cases of where a third party gains access to an individual’s account are extremely rare.