Could employees of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) who use cell phones to respond to requests for information from the public “pose risks” for the citizen? The federal body warns that yes. If the situation is not alarming, it still calls for certain changes in habits, according to an expert.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
At the end of the line, when communicating with CRA customer service, an automated voice now warns Canadians of certain risks to consider. “Some of our officers use cell phones to respond to inquiries, which could pose risks. By staying on the line, you agree to continue the call”, indicates the automated voice at the end of the line before putting the user in contact with a representative, was able to see The Press.
It is then explained that the user can “also choose to explore other means” of contacting the Revenue Agency, such as the My Account service, online.
“Due to the limitations of current cell phone technology, security is never guaranteed. Calling the CRA using a cell phone is no less secure than calling anyone else using the same technology,” said CRA spokesperson Hannah Wardell. by email.
Since last August, the Treasury Board has ruled in a government document that “the obligation to use encryption to protect sensitive information […] does not apply in the case of transmissions beyond the Government of Canada by voice and audio,” said Ms.me Wardel.
This is because “the Government of Canada has no control over external communications networks and personal devices used by the public.” The policy on the use of cell phones to communicate with the public has therefore been “modified to reflect this new directive”, continues the spokesperson, who points out that the automated message is only intended to allow everyone to ” make an informed decision before proceeding with the appeal”.
A “real” danger, but one that is marked out
At UQAM, the coordinator of the Laboratory for Research in Socio-Digital Media, Jonathan Bonneau, reminds us that the danger, when a federal civil servant uses a cell phone, is “real”, but that it can very well be supervised to make it “minimal”.
The ultimate danger is that we install scanners, like those used in police cars, under a car to pick up discussions on the sidewalk or at the entrance to houses.
Jonathan Bonneau, coordinator of the Social Media Research Laboratory
“That said, it’s a technology that is not as advanced and democratized as what we see for car theft, for example. On the other hand, of course, you never know how it can progress. It is therefore necessary to advocate monitoring of the tools used” by civil servants, adds Mr. Bonneau.
According to him, the greatest risk of the use of a cell phone by a representative of the CRA is the “hacking of IP addresses”. “Compared to satellite, where you really have to target someone, then you can just place a net and see what passes over the address. It is therefore a bit of random hacking, which can possibly provide a lot of data, ”notes the specialist.
Ultimately, the warning issued by the Revenue Agency probably calls for “getting into new prevention habits,” concludes Jonathan Bonneau. “When you’re asked for your social insurance number, for example, it’s asking if the person you’re talking to has a landline or at least protected in some way. And if not, you can ask to speak to someone else,” he observes. However, this step is not necessary for basic information such as your name or surname.
In recent years, the federal agency has been the victim of cyberattacks, like several other departments, government entities and large organizations. Recently, last December, the federal agency had also declared that it had suspended its online services after learning of the existence of a security threat. In Quebec, the Mon dossier space was then temporarily inaccessible.