OTTAWA, February 2, 2005 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced two important cyber security initiatives. First, the Government of Canada is the first signatory to an agreement to participate in Microsoft's Security Cooperation Program (SCP), a global initiative launched by Microsoft. Second, the Minister announced the establishment of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC), which will serve as Canada’s focal point for dealing with cyber threats to Canada’s critical infrastructure. “In a global environment where we are increasingly reliant on information technology, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the risk of cyber threats that could have an impact on our shared critical infrastructure,” said Minister McLellan. “By participating in Microsoft’s Security Cooperation Program and establishing the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre, the Government of Canada is at the forefront of those efforts.” Through the SCP, PSEPC’s Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre and Microsoft Canada will collaborate in responding to computer security incidents and proactively seek to reduce the effect of cyber attacks. The SCP initiative reinforces PSEPC’s commitment to collaborating with the private sector to enhance Canada’s cyber defences, as outlined in the National Security Policy. “Microsoft values the leadership role that Public Safety Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) has taken in becoming the first signatory and an early participant in Microsoft’s Security Cooperation Program (SCP),” said David Hemler, President, Microsoft Canada. “We look forward to collaborating with the Government of Canada to address cyber threats more efficiently and effectively through information sharing and applying our combined expertise.” A key SCP element is emergency response coordination for cyber disruptions or emergencies, including 24/7 access to Microsoft expertise, rapid information exchange and technical advice -- while an incident is in progress. Other key SCP elements include receiving advance notification on security information to be released, as well as information about vulnerabilities that Microsoft is investigating. The establishment of the CCIRC is part of the Government of Canada’s initiative to build a fully-integrated approach to public safety. It is the cyber security component of PSEPC’s centralized coordination capacity for emergency preparedness and response. The CCIRC will provide cyber security services such as incident response coordination and support, monitoring and threat analysis, as well as technical advice and awareness for critical infrastructure owners and operators. CCIRC will provide this cyber protection leadership and expertise at the national and international levels. The CCIRC can issue cyber threat warnings such as alerts and advisories at a moment’s notice. The CCIRC Web page, at www.psepc.gc.ca/ccirc, features its cyber alerts and advisories, reports on best practices, technical advice on how to recover from a cyber incident, and information on how to prevent similar incidents in the future. The critical infrastructure community can directly report cyber incidents to the CCIRC, by contacting PSEPC’s Government Operations Centre. Once the information is received, a cyber triage unit can assess the information and coordinate the appropriate response. The cyber triage unit is composed of representatives from PSEPC, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The establishment of the CCIRC strengthens PSEPC’s commitment to protecting Canada ’s critical infrastructure, which relies heavily on cyber systems and networks. The CCIRC also works closely with the Government Operations Centre in the event of a national emergency, as outlined in Canada ’s new National Security Policy. - 30 - For further information: Alex Swann Director of Communications Office of the Honourable Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (613) 991-2863 Media Relations Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (613) 991-0657 Sarah Stewart Browne Microsoft Canada Senior Consultant (416) 368-8348 ext. 245 Backgrounders Cyber security and protecting Canada ’s critical infrastructure Government Operations Centre Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Microsoft cyber security cooperation Cyber security and protecting Canada’s critical infrastructure Overview Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) is providing national and international leadership in cyber readiness and response. PSEPC’s Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) serves as a central coordinating point for cyber security to deal with threats and incidents impacting Canada’s critical infrastructure -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Roles and responsibilities CCIRC performs the following functions: Incident response and coordination; Monitoring and analysis of the cyber threat environment; Warning and technical advice; and National awareness and capacity building. When warranted, PSEPC issues cyber warnings as well as other cyber-related information products to respond to potential, imminent or actual threats, vulnerabilities or incidents affecting Canada’s critical infrastructure. Information is made available to governments at all levels, as well as critical infrastructure sectors such energy and utilities, communications, transportation, and financial. The complexity and frequency of cyber security incidents warrants a highly-integrated response. The CCIRC operates within the Government Operations Centre and cooperates with other federal departments and agencies, other levels of government, and private sector critical infrastructure organizations, to ensure a coordinated and timely response to cyber security incidents across Canada. CCIRC will build on PSEPC’s existing international relationships and is designed for improved inter-operability with its allied partners. This includes, for instance, cyber security incident response teams in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia Information on the PSEPC CCIRC’s products and services is available on its Web page at: www.psepc.gc.ca/ccirc. PSEPC is committed to protecting the safety and security of Canadians and is the lead department for coordinating the federal response and recovery efforts in the event of an emergency situation, whether natural or man-made. Government Operations Centre Overview Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) is home to the Government Operations Centre, which is located in Ottawa and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Government Operations Centre provides strategic level coordination and direction on behalf of the Government of Canada in response to an emerging or occurring event affecting the national interest. It also receives and issues information dealing with any perceived, imminent or real threat to the safety and security of Canadians and Canada ’s critical infrastructure. Information through the Government Operations Centre is quickly verified, analyzed and distributed to the appropriate response organizations. Roles and responsibilities This is made possible through PSEPC’s close operational links with other Government of Canada departments and agencies, provincial/territorial and municipal governments, the private sector, and international organizations. If necessary, the Government Operations Centre can quickly increase its resources and serve as the focal point for emergency government operations, as well as help officials from other departments and agencies analyze and respond to emergency situations as they evolve. It can take just a few minutes for the response to move from the local to the national level. Calling upon resources and experts in various fields, many of them integral, the Government Operations Centre helps to ensure that the right resources are in the right place at the right time. It coordinates the response to help provincial or territorial governments support their local authorities and first responders. As with any emergency situations, Canadians first and foremost are advised to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies. This includes taking the necessary basic emergency preparedness steps. The Government of Canada offers a number of self-help advice brochures, which are available free of charge by request at communications@psepc.gc.ca, or they can be accessed directly at: www.canada.gc.ca and www.psepc.gc.ca. Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Microsoft cyber security cooperation Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) has signed an agreement with Microsoft to cooperate on cyber security, an initiative which supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to strengthen its capacity to predict and prevent cyber attacks, as outlined in the National Security Policy. PSEPC’s role involves providing leadership at both the policy and operational level. Microsoft’s Security Cooperation Program (SCP) is a global initiative that provides a way for governments and Microsoft to engage in cooperative security activities in the areas of computer incident response, attack mitigation, and citizen outreach. The goal of SCP is to work with governments in addressing threats to national security, economic strength, and public safety more efficiently and effectively through cooperative projects and information sharing. This Agreement advances the Government of Canada’s evolving relationship with M icrosoft Canada as an element of our on-going mutual commitment to enhancing public safety while fully respecting key Canadian values of democracy, human rights and respect for privacy and the rule of law . PSEPC’s newly-created Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) serves as the Government of Canada’s focal point for incident response, and will collaborate with Microsoft Canada in actively addressing computer security incidents. CCIRC and Microsoft Canada will exchange information that can be used to better anticipate, help prevent, respond to and mitigate the effects of IT security attacks and disruptions. Information will be exchanged concerning vulnerabilities and threats. This initiative is an example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to improving the safety and security of Canadians through innovative public/private sector partnerships. Further information on the SCP is also available on the Microsoft Web site at www.microsoft.com/presspass.
