Security experts are concerned about Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) officials’ appetite to work from home, fearing taxpayers’ data will be at greater risk if they edit more of their files remotely.

Teleworking is among the demands of the 155,000 striking Public Service Alliance of Canada workers, which union members want to include in their new contract.

However, this poses risks, according to experts consulted by The newspaper.

“The weakest link is always the human being. The data can be exfiltrated via screenshot, maintained remotely,” observes Paul Laurier, ex-Sûreté du Québec investigator.

“That depends on the maturity of the technological solutions used. If the data ends up on the computers at home, that’s not very good,” says Éric Parent, computer security specialist and president of EVA Technologies.

“Before the pandemic, there was more security, firewalls, etc., now people are using a router they bought at the store next door,” said Terry Cutler, cybersecurity expert and CEO of Cyology Labs.

“It’s sad. The biggest risk is the issue of confidentiality, which has been underestimated so far. We don’t know the security measures at home,” warns Bernard Cliche, Labor Relations Attorney Emeritus at Morency.

According to StreamScan CEO Karim Ganame, there could be security risks if some employees use their own computers.

“Some employees may have outdated antivirus programs (or no antivirus programs at all) on their computers. This increases the risk of your computer becoming infected. A malicious tool could intercept whatever the employee types on the keyboard,” he notes.

Union members are fighting back

Marc Brière, national president of the Union of Taxation Employees, affirmed this protocolyesterday that the necessary security measures will be taken.

“It’s an IRS employee who installs the technology at home, so remote people are connected as they are in the office, same,” he concluded.

– With the collaboration of Sylvain Larocque