October marks the start of a new federal approach to cyber security in Canada. A new manner of collaborating with Canadian businesses. A renewed approach to communicating with Canadians.
This month we launch the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security with a clear, focused mandate: Help make Canada more resilient to cyber incidents and build a stronger cyber security community in this country. We started this journey some time ago (see below for a short history of how we came to be). But it's clear the creation of the Cyber Centre is the natural next step in how we approach cyber security in Canada.
Through this website, our social media channels (@cybercentre_ca), and our public awareness campaign (www.getcybersafe.ca) you can expect information, advice, and guidance about how cyber security is evolving, and how it will affect you or your business. Our skilled staff will share their insights, knowledge, and expertise as we work with partners to build the cyber community in Canada.
With the launch of the Cyber Centre we are joining our international partners at the National Cyber Security Centre in the United Kingdom, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre and the U.S. National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center in the collective work of making our countries more secure in this incredibly fast-paced digital world.
A safe and secure cyber space is important for the stability and prosperity of Canada. We are a digital country, and our technologies and the internet are increasingly important to innovation and economic growth. Good cyber security is critical to Canada.
The genesis of the Cyber Centre
In 2016, the government, through Public Safety Canada, consulted with Canadians across the country, asking for their thoughts on the direction cyber security should take in Canada. What we heard was that Canadians wanted:
- Clear points of accountability on cyber security;
- Better coordination and collaboration between departments;
- Greater clarity on how and with whom the private sector should engage; and
- Greater federal leadership on cyber security.
This feedback was included in the planning for the 2018 National Cyber Security Strategy, led and launched by Public Safety Canada in June 2018. As a key initiative of the Strategy, the operational cyber security functions from three departments were united to establish the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, as a part of the Communications Security Establishment. The creation of the Cyber Centre responds directly to the call from the Cyber Review for more focused federal management on cyber security.
The creation of the Cyber Centre is a major milestone in the way the government approaches cyber security in Canada.