Detected in an extensively used utility called Log4j, the flaw lets internet-based attackers easily seize control of everything from industrial control systems to web servers.

The province said there's no indication any of the province's websites have been impacted by the software flaw, but they are applying "corrective patches."

Experts describe the software flaw as``leaving the back door open'' in that it could give cyber criminals access to the thousands of organizations that use the logging library.