CSE to work more directly with telecoms on network security

OTTAWA — New national security legislation proposed Tuesday will enable Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) to be more active in protecting the country’s telecommunications networks, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan said during a briefing with media. Bill C-59 aims to, among other measures, modernize CSE by making it governed by stand-alone legislation instead of the National Defence Act, increase its accountability measures and permit it to use advanced methods and techniques to “take action online to defend Canadian networks and proactively stop cyber threats before they reach our systems,” according to a government backgrounder. In a reply to a question about how Canada’s telecoms will be collaborating on this initiative, Sajjan said, “without this legislation, all we had the ability to do was provide a guidance and advice to our private industry.” The new bill will allow CSE to “provide that direct technical assistance to them to make sure their networks are well protected.” Sajjan did not provide examples of what this direct assistance would look like. The introduction of the bill follows a broad public consultation last fall, which included citizens, stakeholders, experts and parliamentarians. A backgrounder describes CSE as the country’s “technical authority for cybersecurity and information assurance,” which includes protecting “critical computer networks and systems from foreign states, hackers and criminals.” The bill stipulates that under its new mandate, CSE would be able to carry out activities on “information infrastructures to identify or isolate malicious software, prevent malicious software from harming those information infrastructures” and analyze “information in order to be able to provide advice on the integrity of supply chains and on trustworthiness of telecommunications, equipment and services.” It defines “infrastructure information” partly as “events that occur during the interaction between two or more devices that provide services on a network,” or "between an individual and a machine" in certain cases. This does not include information that could be linked to an identifiable person. The CSE’s mandate means it will “continue” to be able to “access and acquire information from” the Internet and telecommunications networks “for the purpose of providing advice, guidance and services to the Government of Canada to help protect its electronic information and information infrastructure,” and any other information highlighted by the minister as being important to the government, according to a document that outlines how the legislation aligns with the Charter. Beside cybersecurity and information assurance, the CSE’s mandate would have four additional aspects, including foreign intelligence, defensive cyber operations, active cyber operations, and technical and operational assistance, that document read. “Canadians were clear in the consultation that they expect their rights and freedoms to be protected at the same time as their security,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a news release. “The measures introduced today reflect that expectation and strengthen Canada’s ability to address evolving threats.” — With reporting by Ahmad Hathout at ahathout@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

CSE to work more directly with telecoms on network security

News | June 20, 2017

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CSE to work more directly with telecoms on network security

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