Protecting Canadians through the protection of the infrastructure they rely on

Threats to Canadians from malicious cyberactivity are greater than ever. State and non-state actors with nefarious intentions are seeking to take advantage of our increased connectivity to target businesses of all sizes for the purposes of espionage, ransom, theft, and likely, disruption. Cyber incidents such as these cost Canadians and Canadian businesses greatly. Moreover, should any of these actors succeed in undermining critical cyber systems in our highly interconnected and interdependent critical infrastructure sectors, the consequences could have serious and potentially cascading effects on both our public safety and national security. It is for these reasons that the Government of Canada is committed to protecting the cyber systems that Canadians rely on each and every day. This commitment reflects an understanding that these cyber systems form the foundation of our economy, and indeed, our society, and that this reliance will only increase with the emergence of new technologies such as 5G. To this end, the Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino introduced Bill C-26, An Act Respecting Cyber Security, this past spring. This proposed legislation is intended to protect Canadians and bolster cybersecurity across the financial, telecommunications, energy, and transportation sectors. In lockstep with our allies, Canada has been working to keep Canadians and Canadian businesses safe in cyberspace. Bill C-26 is designed to address gaps. For example, there are no explicit legislative authorities in the Telecommunications Act to promote the security of Canada's telecommunications system. In addition, across Canada's critical infrastructure sectors, there are varying levels of cybersecurity and no requirement to share information on cyber incidents. Finally, the government has no legal mechanism to compel action to protect these systems, not even when absolutely necessary. These are important gaps that An Act Respecting Cyber Security aims to fill. That is why the government is strengthening and modernizing its cybersecurity framework to adapt to evolving threats. This legislation’s objectives are two-fold: First, it proposes to amend the Telecommunications Act to add security as a policy objective, bringing the telecommunications sector in line with other critical infrastructure sectors. This will allow the government, when necessary, to prohibit Canadian telecommunications service providers from using products or services from high-risk suppliers so these risks are not passed on to users. And second, it introduces the new Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act. As a first step, this new law would establish a regulatory framework to support the improvement of baseline cybersecurity for federally regulated services and systems that are vital to the national security and public safety of Canadians. This legislation emphasizes our commitment to increasing Canada’s cybersecurity posture and can also serve as a model for provinces, territories, and municipalities to help secure critical infrastructure outside federal jurisdiction. Cyber incidents above a certain threshold will need to be reported, and the government will be provided with a new legislative tool to compel companies to take action in response to emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities. In short, this legislation will form the foundation for securing Canada’s critical infrastructure against fast-evolving cyber threats, while spurring growth and innovation to support our economy. Over the past number of months, we’ve seen organizations across our country, from major hospitals to large factories and critical transit agencies, hit by ransomware attacks and other malicious cyberactivity. As we redouble our own defences, we must help operators strengthen theirs. We are making this decision at a critical time for our cybersecurity. At this very moment, 5G networks are being installed in all countries. This innovation represents a major opportunity for competition and growth and will make a difference in the daily lives of almost all Canadians. As a government, it is our responsibility to help Canadians seize those opportunities, but also to work with critical infrastructure owners and operators to protect Canadians from risks. This new legislation will do just that. Pam Damoff was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Oakville North–Burlington, Ont., in 2015. Following the 2021 federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Damoff parliamentary secretary to the minister of public safety. Damoff has been a member of the House Public Safety and National Security Committee since 2016. The Hill Times

Protecting Canadians through the protection of the infrastructure they rely on

An Act Respecting Cyber Security will form the foundation for securing Canada’s critical infrastructure against fast-evolving cyber threats, while spurring growth and innovation to support our economy.

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Protecting Canadians through the protection of the infrastructure they rely on

An Act Respecting Cyber Security will form the foundation for securing Canada’s critical infrastructure against fast-evolving cyber threats, while spurring growth and innovation to support our economy.

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