The Hamilton Spectator

Canada joins the worldwide cyber war

- LEE BERTHIAUME

Canada is going all-in when it comes to cyberwarfa­re.

Weeks after giving the military permission to start developing cyberweapo­ns and other offensive capabiliti­es, the Trudeau government wants to issue a similar directive to Canada’s electronic spy agency.

New national security legislatio­n unveiled by the Liberals on Tuesday would, among other things, let the Communicat­ions Security Establishm­ent launch cyberattac­ks against foreign targets.

Those would include potential threats ranging from hackers and terrorists to countries and government­s.

The 70-year-old agency’s existing mandate includes protecting computer systems that are deemed critical by the federal government, and only allows for the collection of informatio­n from foreign targets.

Those responsibi­lities would continue under the proposed legislatio­n.

The changes being introduced by the government are necessary to protect Canada in the 21st century, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who is responsibl­e for overseeing the agency, told a news conference.

“Currently we only have a defensive shield,” he said. “We have to wait to be hit.”

The spy agency is also being tapped to help the Canadian military when it comes to developing the latter’s ability to fight online, which was included as part of the Liberal government’s recently released defence policy.

Taken together, the new measures for CSE and the military mark Canada’s entrance into a new realm of warfare — a realm many of its allies already inhabit but which remains extremely complicate­d and in flux.

They also come days after the CSE warned that cyberthrea­ts to the democratic process around the world are on the rise, and that Canada faced the risk of cyberattac­ks during the next federal election in 2019.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who introduced the proposed legislatio­n, said the government is matching the new powers being given to CSE with additional checks and balances.

Offensive operations will need advance approval from the defence minister and a new intelligen­ce commission­er, while a new committee will review the actions of CSE and several other agencies each year.

The electronic spy agency will also be forbidden from targeting Canadians or anyone in Canada, except when it comes to collecting or analyzing informatio­n for another government department with a warrant.

Sajjan acknowledg­ed that actual details of any attack will likely be extremely scarce for the public.

 ?? SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ?? Defence minister Harjit Sajjan told a news conference changes are necessary to protect Canada in the 21st century.
SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS Defence minister Harjit Sajjan told a news conference changes are necessary to protect Canada in the 21st century.

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