“As long as our digital infrastructure continues to evolve, there will always be those who try to exploit vulnerabilities to undermine Canada’s national security, public safety and economic prosperity.”
The Honourable Steven Blaney, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Last week the Government of Canada announced its intention to invest an additional $142.6M in Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy. This is an increase on funding allocated earlier this year and brings Canada’s total investment in cyber security to $237M over the next five years. Symantec’s data shows that cyber attackers around the world are more calculated and organized than ever before, so this increased focus – and funding – is good to see.
Launched in 2010, Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy is built on three pillars: 1) securing government systems; 2) partnering to secure vital cyber systems outside the Federal Government; and 3) helping Canadians to be secure online. The recent announcement targets the 2nd pillar and will enhance the capability of organizations, which deliver essential services to Canadians, to protect and defend their systems. It will also provide new resources to significantly enhance the collaboration between the Government of Canada and the private sector by providing additional information on cyber threats, and faster dissemination. As the Minister noted, “Collaboration and information-sharing with critical infrastructure sectors and private sector partners is our best defence to protect our essential cyber systems”.
Interestingly, there has been little response to the announcement. How do we account for the muted reaction from the Canadian media and Canadians themselves? There are a few possibilities:
Get Lost – it’s summer! We Canadians fiercely value our fleeting summer and tend to tune out as much serious stuff as we can during these weeks. “Time enough for all that later –now pass over the sun tan lotion and my beer”.
Pre-Election News isn’t “Real” news: Canadians are facing a federal election this Fall and the three major parties are well into their campaigning. Can you really blame us for questioning the veracity of a statement made over a baby’s head or by someone brandishing a BBQ spatula??
Canada isn’t a cyber-target: Everyone knows that Canada is a nation of peace loving, hockey playing, igloo builders – Why would anyone target us? Go back to sleep!
The lack of interest in yesterday’s announcement could well be for one of these reasons, but the third supposition couldn’t be further from the truth. Canada is absolutely a target for cyber attackers motivated by financial gain, political ideology, and competitive advantage. What’s the proof?
Last year Canada suffered a number of significant attacks on government departments including major hacks at the National Research Council and Canada’s Department of Revenue.
More recently CSIS, CSE and other government websites were knocked offline by a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack with those responsible saying it was done in protest against the government’s anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51. This was followed by a similar disruption to RCMP sites involving a different protest.
Last week the Canadian-owned Ashley Madison website was hacked, affecting over 37 million NERVOUS people worldwide, as the site reportedly caters to people interested in extra-marital affairs. Hackers claim to have stolen information and are threatening to publish it unless the site is permanently shut down.
- A few days ago a story appeared involving a parent rocking a baby to sleep in a small town in Ontario. Apparently, the internet camera used to monitor the room was remotely activated at which point eerie music played and a voice told the parent and baby they were being watched. The OPP confirmed the home’s router had been hacked.
As Symantec's 2015 Internet Security Threat Report confirms, cyber threats are real and can have significant – even catastrophic – impacts on personal and economic security. Canada’s government seems to understand this and has been working for years on a host of initiatives to bolster our nation’s cyber posture. Last week’s funding announcement is only the latest example. I, for one, am pleased that these efforts are underway and considered a priority. The complete announcement can be viewed on the following link if you want to learn more: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1005009