Parliamentary Committee Notes: Opening Remarks for The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
Bill C-26
Minister's Parliamentary Committee (SECU)
Appearance House of Commons February 15, 2024
Thank you Mr. Chair, and thank you Committee members for this invitation to speak with you about Bill C-26, An Act Respecting Cyber Security.
I am pleased to be joined here today with my colleague, Minister Champagne.
Canada's critical infrastructure plays a vital role in the delivery of essential services and the necessities of daily life. This, I know, we can all agree on.
This proposed legislation will protect Canadians and bolster cyber security across the federally regulated financial, telecommunications, energy, and transportation sectors.
These sectors are all critical contributors to both Canada's
economy, and the security and well-being of Canadians.
But this also means that our critical infrastructure is an attractive target for malicious cyber-enabled activity such as espionage, intellectual property and data theft, and sabotage.
In cyberspace, Canada is no longer protected by its geography.
Geopolitics and cyber security have become inextricably linked. And the rise of nation-state cyber enabled activity has
become a defining feature of modern geopolitics, with impacts felt around the globe and across critical sectors.
The state-sponsored cyber programs of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea pose the greatest strategic cyber threats to Canada These programs are often part of larger, global campaigns undertaken by these states, which are intent on causing disruption, and in certain cases, even destruction.
And now, emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence are creating an even more expansive cyber threat environment in which malicious actors can thrive.
Colleagues, cyber security is a priority we have been committed to for quite some time. In fact, the Government has invested nearly $5 billion in cyber security since 2018.
Bill C-26 represents the latest step in the Government's work to position Canada as a global leader in cyber security, and help ensure the national security, public safety, and economic prosperity of Canadians.
This legislation will ensure a consistent cross-sectoral approach to cyber security in response to the growing interdependency of cyber systems across sectors and jurisdictions.
A power disruption resulting from a cyber threat or critical
vulnerability could have ripple effects on Canada's economy, as well as serious consequences for our highly interconnected grid and other critical infrastructure sectors that depend on electricity to operate and provide services to Canadians.
We need to defend the critical infrastructure and the essential services that Canadians and Canadian businesses rely on every day – whether it's to heat or cool our homes, operate a farm or small business or to simply talk to our loved ones.
This legislation is an essential addition to Canada's already-robust toolkit protecting us, and our economy, against cyber threats.
First, Bill C-26 proposes to amend the Telecommunications Act to add security as a policy objective and related authorities, including order-making powers, bringing the framework governing telecommunications in line with that of other critical infrastructure sectors.
This will allow the Government, when necessary, to protect Canadians by requiring action from telecommunication service providers, including prohibiting them from using products or services from high-risk suppliers.
Minister Champagne will speak about telecommunications security and proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Act.
Bill C-26 also introduces the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act, or CCPSA.
This new act will increase collaboration and information sharing between the industry and government, and will require designated operators to report cyber security incidents to the Communications Security Establishment.
Mandatory reporting will provide valuable insight into the cyber threat landscape in Canada, and the CSE's Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is best equipped to do just that.
As Canada's technical authority on cyber security, the Cyber Centre uses its rapid response capabilities and national visibility to identify trends and malicious cyber campaigns that could impact multiple sectors and organizations across Canada.
Importantly, by improving the Government's awareness of the cyber threat landscape, we can warn operators of potential threats and vulnerabilities so they can take action and protect their systems.
And this legislation will also give the Government a new tool to compel action, if necessary, in response to cyber threats or vulnerabilities.
Mr. Chair, when it comes to strengthening cyber security, the interests of all Canadians are very much aligned.
We have found that stakeholders largely support the intent of the legislation and agree that we must work together to secure our critical infrastructure against cyber threats.
However, some have expressed concerns about certain aspects of the legislation. I listened carefully to the points raised by my colleagues and stakeholders around transparency, accountability and ensuring the protection of the privacy of Canadians.
I look forward to working with the Committee on these issues to ensure the timely passage of this legislation, and ensure that Canada remains secure, competitive and connected.
And that's why I encourage all members to join me in supporting this landmark cyber security legislation, Bill C-26, today. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
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