COMSEC

The Learning Hub (LH) provides COMSEC training to GC departments and GC-sponsored OLGs and private sectors companies. If you occupy a role within a COMSEC account, please visit the LH to discover which mandatory and recommended role-based and equipment training is offered.

The following is a list of the major families of devices that are approved by CSE:

• Secure voice devices: includes wireline and wireless devices, which communicate over conventional telephone circuits, cellular or satellite-based networks.
• Network encryptors: high-speed devices, which provide security services for Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Internet Protocol (IP) networks by providing data confidentiality, integrity mechanisms, and authentication services.
• Link encryptors: includes devices used to encrypt information at the data link layer during data transmission between two points within a network. Unlike network encryptors, link encryptors also provide traffic-flow security (i.e. the routing information is not transmitted in clear).
• Secure remote access devices: refers to devices that allow users with laptops in remote locations to securely access centralized classified networks.
• Hard disk encryptors: refers to hardware-based disk encryption devices.
• Tier 3 management devices: refers to equipment that accepts, stores, and fills cryptographic key devices.

Government departments

CSE provides services and guidance to GC departments who require COMSEC solutions to protect their information.

GC departments requiring COMSEC material must submit a request letter from their Chief Security Officer (CSO) to COMSEC Client Services to establish a COMSEC account.

The request must include information such as:

• a justification to hold COMSEC material
• interoperability requirements
• highest security classification of the COMSEC material and
• statement that the minimum physical security standards are in place in accordance with Treasury Board Operational Security Standard on Physical Security
   

GC departments must also appoint appropriate COMSEC personnel to manage their departmental COMSEC program:

• a Departmental COMSEC Authority (DCA) may be appointed by the CSO to act in their stead to develop, implement, maintain, coordinate and monitor the departmental COMSEC program
• a COMSEC custodian, who will be responsible for the generation, receipt, custody, distribution, disposition or destruction, and accounting of COMSEC material entrusted to their COMSEC Account or sub-account

Private industry

CSE provides direction to Canadian private sector clients regarding how to handle COMSEC material in support of a GC government contract. These must be sponsored by a GC department that has a current COMSEC account prior to acquiring cryptographic material.

The private sector client requires a GC sponsor who is responsible for initiating coordination with the Cyber Centre. The sponsor is also responsible for seeking approval from COMSEC Client Services prior to providing any accountable cryptographic equipment to a Canadian private sector client. Such equipment is managed through the CSE Industrial COMSEC Account (CICA).

More information can be found in the Directive for the Control of COMSEC Material in the Canadian Private Sector (ITSD-06A). For a copy of this document, please contact the Contact Centre.

A COMSEC incident is any occurrence that jeopardizes or potentially jeopardizes the security of COMSEC material, or the security of protected or classified information and data, whether it is being stored, processed, transmitted, or received during the telecommunications process.

The National COMSEC Incident Office (NCIO) is responsible for providing final assessment and closure to all COMSEC incidents. Such incidents, suspected or confirmed, must be reported within 24 hours through your COMSEC Custodian to the DCA and to the CSO. The DCA must then report it to the NCIO.

For more detailed information regarding COMSEC incidents, please refer to the Directive for Reporting and Evaluating Communications Security (COMSEC) Incidents (ITSD-05A) available on the COMSEC User Portal (CUP).