Integrated Threat Assessment Centre

ITAC’s place in the Canadian security and intelligence community

ITAC is one of many federal bodies that have a role to play in addressing issues of national security. 

The core security and intelligence community

Partnerships

The interconnected and constantly evolving nature of national security threats means that non-traditional security and intelligence partners (organizations like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Radio-Telecommunication Centre) are increasingly challenged by them. It also means that they are involved in developing solutions, and so are increasingly drawn into national security planning and response.

In developing its assessments, ITAC collaborates and consults closely with relevant departments and agencies, as well as international counterparts.

ITAC also works closely with public and private national security partners at all levels, which includes provincial, territorial and municipal police and emergency services across Canada. ITAC is mindful that national security issues have broad implications that impact community groups, Indigenous governments, critical infrastructure practitioners and others.

As such, ITAC is committed to continuing to seek out new partnerships and opportunities to learn from others. With a better understanding of the breadth of threats facing Canadians, and strong partnerships across Canada and beyond, ITAC is better able to assess and report on critical incidents in a credible and timely manner.     

Like-minded countries

ITAC collaborates closely with other allies to address the threat of violent extremism. Many European nations have their own fusion centres and assessment groups. ITAC meets regularly with these partners to share best practices in assessment methodology, dissemination, integration, and counter-terrorism. By sharing its expertise, Canada and its international partners can work together to better anticipate and respond to emerging threats. 

Canada’s National Terrorism Threat Level

How is the level determined?

ITAC’s position as an integrated assessment centre connected with a variety of national and subnational partners means that it is uniquely positioned to assess and report on the violent extremist threat in Canada. 

• The methodology underpinning the NTTL is robust, based on both qualitative and quantitative factors that are fed directly from intelligence received from different security partners.
• The NTTL methodology is regularly reviewed and responsive to changes in violent extremist tactics and methods.
• Trends and reporting on actor intent and capability, when combined with opportunity and timing, inform the level.
• The accuracy of ITAC’s assessment of the NTTL depends on consistent access to a broad range of Government of Canada national security information, and regular consultations with law enforcement and intelligence partners.
• As part of its assessment, ITAC will consult relevant stakeholders in the mitigation space, such as the RCMP, before a recommendation is made to the Director of CSIS about the level.
• ITAC continuously monitors the NTTL, and updates it as required.

ITAC reports on the NTTL a minimum of twice per year. While ITAC recommends the level, it is ultimately approved by the Director of CSIS.

• In instances where a critical incident or other developments indicate that the NTTL should change, ITAC will make a recommendation to the Director of CSIS, who ultimately sets the level.
• Should a change to the NTTL be required, it will be communicated to Canadians by Public Safety Canada.

The spectrum of violent extremist threats

Canada’s national security landscape is facing unprecedented challenges, with new and developing threats, coupled with changing social and political dynamics. Terrorism and violent extremism are just one of many threats, but they are enduring ones, which have and continue to evolve in concerning ways.

The global threat environment, and notably the way in which violent extremism is evolving in that context, is volatile and difficult to predict. Extremism is often expressed through violent rhetoric, criminal acts or other activities that fall below the national security threshold. For the most part, people who engage in these kinds of activities are not likely to escalate to serious violence. Still, extremism in all its forms can indicate a level of public anger or potential for escalation to violence. Implications of this are wide-ranging and could include an increase in violence motivated by a wide spectrum of ideologies and mix of motivations.

ITAC considers the full spectrum of hate, criminality and extremism as well as monitors and analyzes a wide range of classified and unclassified reporting to identify markers of violent extremist intent and capability. These indicators and considerations inform ITAC strategic assessments about the probability of a violent extremist attack in the near-term. However, not all violent extremists broadcast their intent or leave clues for investigators. Self-initiated lone actors, for example, often radicalize and mobilize to violence in relative isolation and use readily available weapons like vehicles or knives. These kinds of attacks are very difficult to detect. This is why increased engagement, including with the public, has become important to address national security threats to Canada.

Implications for Canadians

Since 2014, there have been between zero and three attacks in Canada on an annual basis, which has informed the NTTL. Both the NTTL and realized attacks have been stable in recent years.

Using the ITAC methodology, the NTTL was first raised from LOW to MEDIUM in 2014 and has remained there since. That said, the NTTL’s quantitative scoring has fluctuated within the MEDIUM band during this time, accounting for emerging issues and their resolution, for example, following an arrest.

The NTTL plays a critical role in supporting the Federal Terrorism Response Plan (FTRP). The FTRP dictates how government departments and agencies must coordinate in the case of a domestic terrorist event. The FTRP is automatically invoked when the NTTL is raised to HIGH or CRITICAL, and there are subsequent requirements for implicated federal entities to respond.

Threat levels in like-minded countries

Numerous countries, including Canada’s Five Eyes partners, rely on national terrorism threat levels and alerts for public communication and operational decision-making. Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom all use threat level scales that are similar to those used by Canada, with some variation in the names of the levels themselves. Five Eyes partners communicate closely on their methodologies, including exchanging on best practices and analytic methods. Some European partners also use terrorism threat levels.

Potential violent extremist targets

Violent extremists aim to exploit security vulnerabilities to inflict as much damage as possible. Common targets include:

• Large gatherings: parades, festivals, sporting events, protests
• Areas with extensive foot traffic: transportation hubs, tourist and commercial areas.
• Symbolic locations: places of worship, government infrastructure, monuments, and iconic landmarks

Other potential targets for violent extremists include public officials, uniformed personnel, democratic institutions and critical infrastructure.

Public officials

Publicly elected officials are symbolic targets for violent extremist actors and have faced heightened threatening rhetoric in recent years. Because of the portfolios or political parties they represent, potential threat actors may see public officials as representatives of particular issues, policies or decisions that could be controversial. They are easily recognizable, and may be targeted due to personal identity factors, such as their gender or background. 

Uniformed personnel

Security personnel—including law enforcement and military personnel—are easily identifiable if they wear a uniform. They often work at or near the preferred targets of violent extremists, such as demonstrations, protests, or government infrastructure.

Democratic institutions

Canadian government infrastructure is more than just buildings. It can represent the government’s policies and authority, and Canada’s democratic values. Individuals with political grievances may see government buildings as potential targets for violent action, whether for what they represent, or to cause real damage to bureaucratic processes. 

State threats to public officials

Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility

ITAC uses Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) to ensure that appropriate intersectionality considerations are included in all of its assessment products, because a diversity of viewpoints helps prevent potential bias and makes for deeper, more rigorous assessments.

ITAC analysts use GBA Plus to consider both how national security threat actors in Canada and abroad might target specific segments of the population, and how different threats could affect Canadians of various identities.

They examine information related to individual identity factors in the analytical methodologies they use to:

• prioritize resources for specific intelligence products
• identify violent extremism trends and State threat trends
• shape how briefings on threat assessments are delivered

ITAC is also committed to ensuring its reports are prepared according to Government of Canada accessibility standards.

Transparency and accountability

ITAC, located at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) headquarters in Ottawa, operates under the provisions and authorities of the CSIS Act, and is accountable to the Director of CSIS, who has administrative and legal responsibilities for ITAC.

As a community resource for the Canadian security and intelligence community, ITAC provides guidance and advice to senior national security officials supporting the Prime Minister of Canada. 

As an organization that handles sensitive intelligence, ITAC is subject to review by various federal bodies:

• the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
• the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
• the Privacy Commissioner
• the Auditor General
• the Information Commissioner
• the Canadian Human Rights Commission
• the Commissioner of Official Languages

ITAC is also subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.