The Communications Security Establishment plays a critical role in protecting Canada’s security, while safeguarding Canadians’ rights.
Communications Security Establishment provides critical foreign intelligence to help inform the Government of Canada’s decision making and protect national security.
Its sophisticated cyber and technical expertise also helps identify, prepare for and defend against threats to Canada’s systems and networks.
Communications Security Establishment is requesting $20.4 million in these Estimates to help implement important initiatives under the National Cyber Security Strategy.
This includes funding for the fit-up of a facility for the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, a unified source of expert advice and guidance on cyber security issues for Canada and Canadians.
These initiatives are critical to enhance Canada’s resilience to cyber threats.
Key Facts
Communications Security Establishment is requesting $20.4 million in these Estimates.
The money will be used to fund two items:
Item 1: $11 million will be used to fund the fit-up of the new facility for the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security building in Ottawa.
Item 2: $9.4 million will be used to implement three initiatives in the National Cyber Security Strategy.
Details Canadian Centre For Cyber Security
$11.0 million in funding will be used to fund the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre).
The $11.0 million is from a $23 million re-profile of 2018-2019 Cyber Centre funding, which was the result of construction challenges and delays.
In 2019-2020, the fit-up timelines on the new Cyber Centre facility in Ottawa have shifted outward again due to additional challenges with construction, including labour disruptions.
As a result of these delays, Communications Security Establishment is only requesting $11 million of the $23 million re-profiled funding, which is intended for the IT/furniture fit-up and construction expenditures that were delayed in 2018-2019.
Communications Security Establishment will submit another re-profile to transfer the balance of $12 million into 2020-2021.
A new facility for the Cyber Centre is needed to offer the shared use of an unclassified, multi-purpose space for government, private industry and academia.
New National Cyber Security Strategy
$9.4 million will be used to implement the new National Cyber Security Strategy.
Specifically, the $9.4 million will provide funding for this fiscal year for three Communications Security Establishment initiatives under the Cyber Strategy.
Improved Integrated Threat Assessments: this funding will help ensure secure and resilient Canadian cyber systems by improving the Cyber Centre’s threat assessments.
Expanding Advice and Guidance to the Finance and Energy Sectors: This funding will support the role of the Cyber Centre in providing advice and guidance to critical infrastructure owners and operators on how to prevent and address cyber attacks.
Interim Quantum Safe Capability: This project will ensure that the confidentiality of the Government of Canada’s classified cryptographic devices are protected against future attacks by quantum computing.
