Cyber Security in the Government of Canada

With the sophistication of cyber threats developing at an astounding rate, Cyber Security Awareness Month is a good opportunity for all Canadians and organizations to take a moment and think about the safety measures they can take to protect themselves online. As President of the Treasury Board, I know that the Government of Canada is not immune to ongoing and persistent cyber threats, and that’s why it’s incumbent upon us to prepare for tomorrow’s cybersecurity threats today, to ensure:

1. services to Canadians remain uninterrupted
2. Canadian data stays secure
3. our systems are vigilantly monitored to defend against potential threats

From protecting personal data to safeguarding our critical infrastructure, it is essential that we stay ahead of ever-evolving cyber threats. Through cross-departmental collaboration with the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and Shared Services Canada (SSC), the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has developed a number of tools to help over 100 departments and agencies safeguard their systems from cyber events, including the GC Enterprise Cyber Security Strategy (Strategy) and the GC Cyber Security Event Management Plan (GC CSEMP).

The strategy published on May 22, 2024, is the government’s first ever forward-looking plan to improve the cyber security of government operations and keep pace with the evolving cyber threat landscape.

The strategy outlines a proactive, whole-of-government approach to strengthen the government’s ability to quickly and effectively combat cyber threats and address vulnerabilities across the government. The strategy also fosters a diverse workforce with the skills, knowledge, and culture needed to support cyber security to help ensure we are capable of handling complex cyber attacks.

However, no matter how good our protections are, we know that we must also be prepared for cyber incidents. To that end, the GC CSEMP ensures that cyber security events are managed in an effective, coordinated, and timely manner government-wide. The plan is regularly tested and enhanced based on experiences gained during real and simulated cyber events and best practices.

Additionally, the formation of a new Purple Team that proactively tests and audits security gaps by mimicking techniques used by malicious threat actors will keep cyber defences strong by continually evaluating our strengths and areas that need improvement.

Even though October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, safeguarding our digital infrastructure is a year-round priority. Cyber security is a shared responsibility and we all have a role to play in protecting our government information and assets. The Government of Canada takes cyber security very seriously and will continue to take proactive measures to keep government systems, information and services protected against cyber attacks so we can deliver the high quality and reliable digital services that Canadians deserve.