Archived [2019-06-28] - Policy on Government Security

availability (disponibilité)

The state of being accessible and usable in a timely and reliable manner.

business continuity planning (planification de la continuité des opérations)

The development and timely execution of plans, measures, procedures and arrangements to ensure minimal or no interruption to the availability of critical services and assets.

communications security (COMSEC) (sécurité des communications (COMSEC))

The application of cryptographic security, transmission and emission security, physical security measures, operational practices and controls to deny unauthorized access to information derived from telecommunications and that ensure the authenticity of such telecommunications.

compromise (compromission)

The unauthorized access to, disclosure, destruction, removal, modification, use or interruption of assets or information.

confidentiality (confidentialité)

A characteristic applied to information to signify that it can only be disclosed to authorized individuals to prevent injury to national or other interests.

critical service (service essentiel)

A service whose compromise in terms of availability or integrity would result in a high degree of injury to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians or to the effective functioning of the Government of Canada (GC).

department (ministère)

All departments named in Schedule I, divisions or branches of the federal public administration set out in column I of Schedule I.1, corporations named in Schedule II, and portions of the federal public administration named in schedules IV and V of the Financial Administration Act (FAA), unless excluded by specific acts, regulations or Orders in Council.

deputy head (administrateur général)

Deputy Head as defined in section 11 of the Financial Administrtion Act, and in the case of the Canadian Forces the Chief of the Defence Staff.

emergency (urgence)

A present or imminent event, including IT incidents, that requires prompt coordination of actions to protect the health, safety or welfare of people, or to limit damage to assets or the environment.

emergency management (gestion des urgences)

The prevention and mitigation of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from emergencies.

executive (cadre supérieure)

An employee appointed to the executive group (EX-01 to EX-05 levels), i.e., director, director general, assistant deputy minister or equivalent.

identity (identité)

A reference or designation used to distinguish a unique and particular individual, organization or device.

identity management (gestion de l'identité)

The set of principles, practices, processes and procedures used to realize an organization's mandate and its objectives related to identity.

interoperability (interopérabilité)

The ability of federal government departments to operate synergistically through consistent security and identity management practices.

national interest (intérêt national)

The security and the social, political and economic stability of Canada.

reliability status (cote de fiabilité)

Indicates the successful completion of reliability checks; allows regular access to government assets and with a need to know to PROTECTED information.

risk (risque)

The uncertainty that can create exposure to undesired future events and outcomes. It is the expression of the likelihood and impact of an event with the potential to impede the achievement of an organization's objectives.

security clearance (cote de sécurité)

indicates successful completion of a security assessment; with a need to know, allows access to classified information. There are three Security Clearance levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret.

security control (mesure de sécurité)

An administrative, operational, technical, physical or legal measure for managing security risk. This term is synonymous with safeguard.

security incident (incident de sécurité)

Any workplace violence toward an employee or any act, event or omission that could result in the compromise of information, assets or services.

security screening (filtrage de sécurité)

Any measure resulting in a high level of assurance that an individual can be granted specific access privileges within the context of the federal government.

signals intelligence (SIGINT) (renseignement électromagnétique – SIGINT)

Technical information or intelligence composed of (individually or in combination) communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT).

communications intelligence (COMINT)

Technical information or intelligence derived from the exploitation of communications systems, information technology systems and networks, and any data or technical information carried on, contained in or relating to those systems or networks by other than the intended recipient.

electronic intelligence (ELINT)

Technical information or intelligence derived from the collection, processing and analysis of electromagnetic non-communications emissions.

foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT)

Technical information or intelligence derived from the collection, processing and analysis of foreign instrumentation signals by other than the intended recipient.

situational awareness (connaissance de la situation)

Having insight into one's environment and circumstances to understand how events and actions will affect business objectives, both now and in the near future. Having complete, accurate, and current SA is essential in any domain where technological complexity, decision making, and the well-being of the public interact. Because incident management involves predictions and forecasts, SA in the area of IT requires an understanding of the interrelationships between critical services and information, safeguards supporting IT infrastructure and processes, and evolving threats.

sophisticated IT security incident (incident complexe de sécurité des TI)

An event, usually initiated by sophisticated threat actors, that is complicated to detect and recover from, causes harm to GC networks and systems, and affects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

sophisticated IT security threat (menace complexe à la sécurité des TI)

An entity or entities that make use of advanced technologies and tradecraft to penetrate or bypass protective systems and security technologies without being detected.

threat (menace)

An event or act, deliberate or accidental, that could cause injury to people, information, assets or services.

vulnerability (vulnérabilité)

An inadequacy related to security that could increase susceptibility to compromise or injury.

workplace violence (violence dans le lieu de travail)

An action, conduct, threat or gesture that can reasonably be expected to cause harm, injury or illness to an employee in the workplace.

Lead security agencies provide advice, guidance and services to support the day-to-day security operations of departments and enable government as a whole to effectively manage security activities, coordinate response to security incidents, and achieve and maintain an acceptable state of security and readiness. This appendix describes their responsibilities as they relate to their areas of expertise.

Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) establishes and oversees a whole-of-government approach to security and identity management as a key component of all management activities and monitors the adequacy of services to support these activities and practices across government. TBS is responsible for:

• Establishing and maintaining interdepartmental security governance to exercise strategic oversight of government security and providing leadership and recommending priorities related to:
  • Government security policies and approaches to security community development,
  • Establishment of standards and designation of the necessary authorities for identifying and authenticating individuals internal and external to the GC,
  • Security services provided by lead security agencies, and
  • Incident management (including preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery and post-incident analysis activities related to security);
• Setting government-wide direction, establishing priorities, and defining and formalizing security and identity management requirements for the GC and departments;
• Setting government-wide direction and defining requirements for the personal record identifier (PRI) and the individual agency number (IAN);
• Providing guidance to lead security agencies on training and awareness strategies and coordinating training and awareness programs for the development of the security and identity communities, security practitioners, managers at all levels and other functional communities;
• Establishing and leading GC security and identity community forums and events to support departments in implementing the Policy on Government Security;
• Establishing service standards, in collaboration with lead security agencies, related to the provision of advice, guidance and services to support the implementation of the Policy on Government Security and monitor its progress toward achievement of desired outcomes;
• Maintaining close links with Public Safety Canada, monitoring and evaluating its information products to identify incidents that may have public service implications, and making recommendations concerning the activation of emergency and incident response plans;
• Providing direction and advice to lead security agencies and departments on the approach and implementation of measures for managing security incidents, including incidents affecting government security, operation of government IT systems and networks, service delivery and confidence in government; and
• Providing oversight of incident management to ensure the government's strategic objectives are maintained. This includes, but is not limited to, performing post-mortem reviews on incident management activities, tracking the status of after-incident action reports, and developing lessons learned.

Privy Council Office (PCO) advises and supports the prime minister and Cabinet on national security matters and coordinates the related activities of departments and agencies. PCO is responsible for:

• Providing government-wide policy direction on national security and intelligence priorities;
• Advising departments on strategies, mechanisms and activities required to develop, implement, evaluate and improve a fully integrated security system in the GC in support of national security objectives;
• Providing direction to Public Safety Canada to help resolve government security incidents and events that may affect national security;
• Providing direction and advice to departments and agencies on implementing security readiness levels in emergency and increased threat situations;
• Supporting the Prime Minister in establishing candidates' fitness for office for public office positions and conducting security clearances for deputy heads;
• Providing direction and advice to departments and agencies on the level of security support to be provided to ministers, secretaries of State and parliamentary secretaries; and
• Establishing government policy on the security of Cabinet Confidences (i.e., Confidences of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada) and of records administered under the Cabinet Papers System and coordinating the investigation into unauthorized disclosure or other compromise of those documents.

Public Safety Canada (PS) coordinates activities related to emergencies (which include IT incidents) affecting the GC and provides leadership in the area of emergency management, which includes continuity of operations and IT incident management. PS is responsible for:

• Establishing policies, standards and programs for emergency management;
• Providing advice and guidance to departments in developing situational awareness through the identification of information, assets and facilities that support critical services and government operations and defining dependencies and interdependencies to:
  • Help improve the government's preparedness and response capability,
  • Manage emergencies, and
  • Support federal decision making;
• Providing advice and guidance to departments for the preparation, maintenance, testing and implementation of emergency management and business continuity plans;
• Providing central coordination for assessing emerging complex threats and developing and promoting comprehensive, coordinated approaches to address risks within the federal government and across Canada;
• Developing and implementing emergency management training and learning programs and strategies for federal communities;
• Sharing lessons learned and best practices with emergency management practitioners and facilitating the sharing of information within the GC and between the GC and its relevant partners;
• Coordinating the development of national and regional level emergency management exercises and providing advice and guidance to departments on those on exercises;
• Promoting awareness of emergency management matters and facilitating the sharing of information to enhance emergency and incident management;
• Issuing information, advice and guidance to the GC on emergency management;
• Representing the GC on regional, national and international initiatives related to emergency management;
• Communicating PCO direction requiring departments and agencies to implement a readiness level in response to security threats;
• Monitoring potential, imminent and actual emergencies, including those significantly affecting IT, advising other departments and TBS accordingly and coordinating the management of emergencies that affect or may affect services to Canadians, government operations or the effective functioning of government. Under this function, PS is responsible for:
• Monitoring threats to services to Canadians, government operations or the effective function of government, including but not limited to government networks, information systems and other critical infrastructure, issuing advice, guidance and situational awareness reports to departments on potential or actual emergencies and coordinating the GC response to and recovery from an emergency;
• Responding to requests from government departments for specific technical advice, guidance and information on IT incident response and recovery;
• Developing post-incident analysis and after-action reports and recommending actions to TBS and departments to mitigate future incidents; and
• Reporting to TBS throughout all phases of incident management with its analysis of events and incidents that have or may have affected services to Canadians, government operations or the effective functioning of government.

Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) provides leadership and coordination for departmental activities that help ensure the protection of electronic information and information systems of importance and serves as the government's national authority for SIGINT and COMSEC. CSEC is responsible for:

• Developing, based on analysis of community needs and in partnership with TBS, policy instruments related to information technology (IT) security for approval by TBS;
• Developing, approving and promulgating COMSEC- and SIGINT-related policy instruments for classified information and developing guidelines and tools related to IT security;
• Coordinating the development and provision of training and awareness related to IT security, COMSEC and SIGINT to DSOs, security practitioners and, as required, other authorized individuals;
• Leading IT security-related interdepartmental committees and working groups and facilitating the sharing of information and collaboration across security communities;
• Collecting and reviewing IT security best practices and making recommendations to TBS and security governance committees to facilitate security policy improvements and collaboration among departments;
• Conducting research on IT security methods, technologies or common services and proposing solutions to TBS and governance committees to improve risk management and economies of scale in government;
• Authorizing special SIGINT compartment indoctrinations and maintaining a national inventory for personnel cleared and indoctrinated in SIGINT;
• Authorize the operation of IT systems and facilities handling SIGINT;
• Responding to and participate in the investigation or analysis of sophisticated IT security incidents, threats and vulnerabilities and acting on information collected or received from these investigations;
• Providing advice and guidance to departments on the:
  • Protection and distribution of SIGINT,
  • Use and application of IT security products, COMSEC devices, cryptographic measures and key management,
  • Certification of shared and common IT services, emerging IT security technologies, ITS architecture design, common ITS solutions, including secure use of commercial-off-the-shelf products, system and network security design, and security posture and vulnerability assessments,
  • Design and upgrade of GC IT infrastructures and their security interconnectivities
  • Application of IT access controls for confidentiality and integrity as well as threat detection and prevention, and
  • Certification of GC shared, common or federated IT services;
• Providing services to departments for:
  • Key management systems and related components for classified information,
  • Predicting, preventing and defending against sophisticated IT security incidents, threats and vulnerabilities,
  • Handling and mitigation of sophisticated IT security incidents,
  • Security architecture design for GC shared, common or federated initiatives,
  • IT security product assessment and/or approval for products in use in classified domain when deemed necessary,
  • Tailored engineering and operational support for information infrastructure projects of importance to the GC, and
  • IT systems and facilities certification and accreditation for handling SIGINT;
• Developing procurement vehicles, in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC), for pre-qualified IT security products and services;
• Gathering, analyzing and facilitating the authorized sharing of consolidated IT security threat and vulnerability information with departments and with Public Safety Canada; and
• Representing the GC on national and international initiatives related to IT security and SIGINT.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) provides leadership and coordination of activities to help ensure the application of security safeguards through all phases of the contracting process within the scope of the industrial security program (ISP). It also provides services related to physical security respecting the PWGSC Real Property Program and common services related to IT security for increased efficiency and economy of the GC. PWGSC is responsible for:

• Delivering services within the scope of the Industrial Security Program, including:
  • Developing, based on analysis of community needs, in partnership with TBS, policy instruments, guidelines and tools related to security in contracting for approval by TBS;
  • Coordinating the development and provision of training and awareness related to security in contracting;
  • Leading interdepartmental committees and working groups for security in contracting to facilitate the sharing of information and collaboration across communities of practice;
  • Collecting and reviewing best practices related to security in contracting and making recommendations to TBS and security governance committees to facilitate security policy improvements and collaboration among departments;
  • Maintaining a database of private sector organizations and individuals that have been authorized to access classified and protected information and assets;
  • Carrying out roles pursuant to international agreements respecting industrial security;
  • Conducting security inspections of companies that have access to protected and classified information and assets of NATO allies or those who are registered with countries with which Canada has reciprocal Industrial Security Memoranda of Understanding;
  • Processing requests for visits when a security cleared individual must visit a government/commercial organization in Canada or abroad;
  • Performing the necessary security screening of private sector individuals and organizations that have access to protected and classified information and assets, including those participating in foreign contracts;
  • Ensuring compliance in those security contracts that afford industry access to government information and assets;
  • Controlling and managing COMSEC assets in private sector companies and providing screening clearances and inspections for COMSEC assets in private sector companies;
  • Representing the GC on national and international initiatives related to security in contracting and controlled goods;
• Delivering services related to IT security, including:
  • Providing common IT security services and other solutions to enable departments to exchange information with citizens, businesses and employees;
  • Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of common IT services provided to departments;
  • Gathering, analyzing, consolidating and facilitating the sharing of operational threat and vulnerability information related to common IT services and government IT critical infrastructure managed by PWGSC and communicating the information to Public Safety Canada and, as authorized, to departments;
• Delivering services related to physical security, including:
  • Providing base building security for general-purpose office accommodation for which PWGSC is the building custodian; and
  • Procuring security guard services from the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires under the National Master Standing Offer for Commissionaire Services or from other service providers as appropriate;
• Delivering other services, including:
  • Issuing unique personal record identifiers (PRI) to departments and agencies, and individual agency numbers (IAN) to agencies outside the federal public service, upon request;
  • Maintaining the PRI and IAN systems, under the direction and guidance of the Treasury Board Secretariat; and
  • Coordinating the procurement of goods and services for all government departments during emergencies

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) collects, investigates, analyzes and retains information and intelligence that may be suspected of constituting threats to the security of Canada and provides security assessments to departments within its statutory mandate. CSIS is responsible for:

• Developing, based on analysis of community needs and in partnership with TBS, policy instruments, guidelines and tools related to personnel security screening for approval by TBS;
• Participating in the development of training and awareness related to personnel security screening;
• Conducting investigations and providing security assessments in support of personnel security screenings to appraise loyalty to Canada, and so far as it relates thereto, the reliability of an individual
• Maintaining a central index of security assessments and a national central registry of information and documentation that it receives on all persons who are "permanently bound to secrecy" as defined in the Security of Information Act;
• Providing intelligence reports and assessments to the government on threats to the security of Canada, including issues relating to terrorism, espionage, clandestine foreign-influenced activities and economic security, and assessments relating to cyber security to help ensure the protection of the GC's critical services and systems;
• Conducting comprehensive and integrated analysis of all available threat information to build situational awareness for governmental decision makers. Under this function, CSIS is required to:
  • Assemble and analyze intelligence about potential threats from a wide range of sources and make the results of that analysis available to all GC representatives requiring it (e.g., DSOs and security practitioners);
  • Support, through its assessments, the security postures to be developed by governmental first responders, which include police forces and emergency management organizations;
  • Provide a unified and comprehensive threat picture related to special events involving the GC;
  • Support comprehensive threat and risk assessments related to the protection of services to Canadians, government operations and confidence in government; and
  • Provide information to Public Safety Canada to aid in emergency and IT incident management.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provides leadership and coordination for departmental activities that help ensure the physical protection of government information, assets, facilities and people and provides services related to crime prevention, personnel screening, policing, law enforcement and investigations. RCMP is responsible for:

• Developing, based on analysis of community needs, policy instruments, guidelines, and tools related to physical security for approval by TBS;
• Coordinating the development and provision of training and awareness related to physical security for DSOs, security practitioners and other functional communities (e.g., program managers, accommodation and materiel management specialists and contractors);
• Leading interdepartmental committees and working groups for physical security to facilitate the sharing of information and collaboration within the community of practice;
• Collecting and reviewing best practices for physical security and making recommendations to TBS and security governance committees to facilitate security policy improvements and collaboration among departments;
• Coordinating research on physical security and personnel security screening and proposing solutions to TBS and governance committees to enable government to better manage risks and improve economies of scale;
• Providing advice and guidance to departments on:
  • Physical protection of government documents, assets and facilities, including facilities design,
  • Physical security equipment, systems, procedures and countermeasures,
  • Application of physical access controls, media disposal and system monitoring, and
  • Major events;
• Providing services for:
  • Reviewing and advising on counter-technical intrusion detection,
  • Criminal investigations, including computer forensics and cyber crime,
  • Personnel security screening, including fingerprint and criminal records checks and, when there are reasonable grounds, conducting law enforcement assessments and advising departments on the results, and
  • Safeguarding designated persons from threats or acts of violence;
• Gathering, analyzing, consolidating and facilitating the sharing of operational threat and vulnerability information related to identity crime, physical security, cyber crime and other relevant criminal activity and communicating it to Public Safety Canada, TBS and, as authorized, departments; and
• Representing the GC on national and international initiatives related to crime prevention and physical security.

Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) provides leadership and coordinates among government departments to help ensure the preservation of government information and records. LAC is responsible for:

• Developing, based on analysis of community and government needs and in partnership with TBS and Public Safety Canada, guidelines and tools related to the management of information resources for business continuity purposes, for approval by TBS;
• Advising on the management of information resources for business continuity purposes for GC departments;
• Providing secure storage and management for the protection of the essential records of GC institutions during emergencies;
• Monitoring, reporting, and proposing joint strategies to acquire records at risk of serious damage or destruction that are essential for the continuity of GC operations and services in order to properly preserve them for the long term; and
• Participating in and advising on emergency response for the continuity of GC operations and services.

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) is the lead department for conducting foreign relations and the NATO National Security Authority for Canada. DFAIT is responsible for:

• Arranging and coordinating physical security for GC employees and assets housed at Canadian diplomatic and consular missions abroad;
• Providing advice to departments and ensuring periodic and appropriate inspections of security arrangements for the protection and security of NATO's classified information in Canada;
• Arranging and coordinating security for official visitors at DFAIT facilities;
• Providing advice to departments to help ensureadequate safeguards for the transmittal and transport of assets abroad and security initiatives with foreign governments and international organizations;
• Providing diplomatic reporting and assessments to the government on political and other developments abroad that impact on the security of Canadian Government assets and personnel;
• Providing diplomatic courier services for secure movement and safeguarding of classified information and assets between Canada and missions abroad;
• Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of official communications transmitted by electronic means between departments and Canadian diplomatic missions abroad;
• Conducting personnel security screening of locally engaged staff and other government officialsnot falling within the mandate of the Interdepartmental Memorandum of Understanding on Operations and Support at Missions Abroad; and
• Coordinating activities at missions abroad during national or international emergencies.

Department of National Defence (DND) / Canadian Forces (CF)

DND / CF are responsible for:

• Providing military intelligence for threat and risk assessment purposes; and
• Arranging and coordinating security for any foreign military personnel visiting Canada or otherwise present at a defence facility.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

CSPS is responsible for:

• Providing training and educational services to help ensure that all public service employees have the knowledge and skills they need to deliver results for Canadians; and
• Developing, delivering and regularly updating, in collaboration with TBS and lead security agencies, courses and programs that meet the needs of the functional security and identity management communities, assessing whether participants successfully complete them and reporting the results to TBS on an annual basis.