CRTC looking at more options for botnet blocking at carrier level

The CRTC says companies have to be blocking botnets at the network level using authorized blocklists by the middle of this August, before cyber attacks reach their customers’ devices. “Botnets are networks of computers, cellphones, or other devices that have been infected with malware. This allows individuals or groups to control the devices without the knowledge or consent of their owners. Botnets can be used for sending spam to Canadians or for other harmful activities,” the CRTC said in a decision released Friday, June 13. In June 2022, “the commission found that regulatory action is necessary so that can help disrupt botnets and protect Canadians from the harm they cause,” it noted. The authorized block lists include both telecoms’ in-house blocklists and appropriate third-party blocklists. As of Aug. 12, 2025, telecoms have to be blocking botnets at the network level. Blocking will be done by default after the CRTC found customer opt-in options “have low uptakes and that both opt-in and opt-out approaches undermine network security and significantly increase the implementation burden and costs borne by carriers.” “The commission considers that allowing customers to opt in or out of network-level blocking provided by carriers is not technically feasible and would undermine the purpose of the framework. A blocking-by-default approach would ensure that all of a carrier’s customers benefit from the blocking in the most efficient and effective manner,” it said. “The carrier must not, however, implement any measure that may prevent customers from employing legitimate services that may circumvent the blocking, such as virtual private network services or alternative domain name system resolvers.” Following the 2022 decision and a 2023 report from the CRTC’s interconnection steering committee’s network working group, the CRTC is also launching a consultation looking for comments on whether or not the framework should be expanded to include other forms of blocking, such as methods using file signatures, traffic volume anomalies, and network fingerprinting. “Since the commission currently has limited information about these other blocking methods, it is initiating this public consultation to gather comments on whether, and how, they should be incorporated into the framework and, if so, whether additional privacy safeguards and reporting requirements are needed,” the commission said. The regulator wants to know how companies would deal with personal information of users and whether or not carriers should be blocked from “examining, analyzing, or keeping the contents of electronic communications.” That could include being blocked from using or disclosing information such as a home’s traffic volume or visited websites for any other purposes beyond botnet blocking, such as for targeted advertising. Interventions on the matter can be filed until July 14. Replies will be due July 29. news@thewirereport.ca

CRTC looking at more options for botnet blocking at carrier level

Regulatory |
By Wire Report Staff
| June 13, 2025

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CRTC looking at more options for botnet blocking at carrier level

Regulatory | By Wire Report Staff | June 13, 2025

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By Wire Report Staff
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