Statistics Canada website down as internet hit by millions of hack attempts

Millions of attempts were reported after a serious PHP vulnerability became public. Governments took websites offline as a precaution because attackers could potentially use the flaw to reach sensitive systems and information. The shutdowns followed guidance from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

Statistics Canada displayed an outage message, while the Canadian Intellectual Property Office also went offline. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the measures were intended to protect government systems and Canadians’ information. British Columbia similarly removed some webpages while teams worked on restoration.

The outages were temporary protective steps, not evidence that every affected website had been breached. PHP developers released urgent fixes and told users to update immediately. Services could return once organizations assessed their systems, installed patches, and were confident they had reduced the risk.

PHP is a widely used programming language that underwrites roughly 70 per cent of the world’s websites. Because so many digital services rely on it, a weakness in PHP can create a broad security problem. The issue is not limited to one company or country.

The article links PHP to websites and public systems ranging from government services to banking, airline, rail, and tax operations. When the vulnerability became public, operators had to check whether their systems used affected software. The PHP Foundation released fixes and instructions for updating systems.

This wide reliance explains the rapid response. Organizations had to patch systems, suspend websites, or limit access while checking their exposure. The episode also highlighted the importance of building digital systems that can be maintained securely, especially when one shared technology supports so many services.

A vulnerability that permits remote code execution allows an attacker to make a computer or service run instructions without being physically present. In this incident, the FBI said malicious actors could potentially execute code through PHP. That creates a path from a public-facing service into the system running it.

The danger is not merely that a website might display the wrong information. If attackers successfully control what the vulnerable software runs, they could potentially reach sensitive data or connected networks. The article specifically says the flaw could compromise sensitive data and networks.

That possibility explains the urgent patching and shutdowns. Organizations had to install fixes before attackers could exploit exposed systems. The PHP Foundation released updates, while governments and companies raced to secure services. Until systems were patched and checked, taking websites offline reduced the opportunity for remote attacks.

The vulnerability had worldwide reach because PHP underwrites roughly 70 per cent of the world’s websites. Governments and organizations in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere took protective measures. The article describes disruptions affecting public services and systems connected to banking, airlines, railways, and taxes.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince described an extraordinary acceleration in reported attempts. In the 10 hours before public announcement, Cloudflare saw thousands across its network. Within 45 minutes afterward, attempts reached tens of thousands. They rose to hundreds of thousands within two hours and millions by Wednesday night.

These figures show how quickly public disclosure changed the threat. Attackers could study the vulnerability and attempt to use it while organizations were still patching. PHP developers issued urgent fixes, but the surge meant companies and governments had to respond immediately rather than wait for routine maintenance.

If attackers exploit the flaw before an organization installs the fix, they may be able to execute code remotely through PHP. The FBI said this could potentially compromise sensitive data and networks. That makes the vulnerability a threat to both information and the systems handling it.

The article describes attackers racing to use the flaw while companies and governments raced to update. Madeline Lawrence of Aikido Security said attacks had been reported after details became public and fixes were not yet ready. This created a narrow but dangerous window for exposed systems.

Organizations responded by deploying patches and suspending websites as a precaution. Those steps could interrupt public access, but leaving vulnerable services online carried potential security risks. The immediate priority was to install the PHP fixes, follow update instructions, and restore services after systems were secured.

Governments and companies faced a difficult timing problem. Keeping a website online maintained access to important services, but a publicly known vulnerability could give attackers an opportunity. Taking it offline reduced exposure, yet it also interrupted access to government, banking, airline, rail, tax, and other services.

Canada illustrates the choice. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office went offline, while British Columbia removed some webpages as a precaution. Finland reported that government websites were partly or fully unavailable. These actions followed guidance and urgent warnings about the PHP vulnerability.

The tradeoff lasted while organizations installed fixes and assessed their systems. PHP developers released patches and instructions, but operators still needed time to update. The article reports that teams were working to restore services. The episode showed why secure maintenance matters when widely used software supports essential public and corporate systems.

Software vulnerabilities spread across digital systems when many organizations use the same underlying program. A single weakness can therefore appear in websites and services operated by different governments and companies. PHP’s broad use made this incident global rather than local.

The article shows the chain clearly. PHP developers found vulnerabilities that had existed for years, released urgent fixes, and issued update instructions. Each organization running affected software then had to identify its exposure, apply the patch, and check whether services could safely remain online.

Coordination becomes essential because attackers can act as soon as details become public. Cloudflare reported attempts rising from thousands to millions, while operators were still updating. Governments and companies therefore had to move together under pressure. The episode reinforced Satya Nadella’s point that digital systems should be built so they can be maintained securely.