Evidence of meeting #14 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cybersecurity.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Head, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment
Predominantly, we were looking for anybody who would try to impersonate the Government of Canada and, for example, set up a CERB-like site that looks to fake out Canadians, to pretend that it is CERB—
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Your exact words were “against cyber-threats”. That's not a cyber-threat of CERB. That's a phishing or fraud threat. Did you perhaps word it badly, or was that your intent?
Head, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment
No, it is a cyber-threat, because they're using that as part of phishing. They use it to lure Canadians into revealing their private or confidential information.
The second piece that we do look for, though, is that is we look to make sure we're ready to defend against denial of service attacks, so that the site remains up and available for Canadians. That's something we work closely on with our partners at Shared Services Canada.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Hello again. I'd like to thank you for your efforts.
There is a lot of talk these days about returning to work and preparing for it, even though we don't know how or when we're going to get back to our offices. The Government of Canada has spent a lot of time reviewing its workplace of the future model.
My question is primarily for Mr. Glover. Could you tell us more about the technology side of the office of the future in the public service and from a post-COVID-19 work perspective? I'm obviously talking about the availability of wireless Internet, cloud computing, and other tools.
President, Shared Services Canada
The short answer is that in order to be digitally enabled you need to have access to digital tools. This means that, just like you trust when you use an electrical outlet that it's going to work, in the office place we need to have wired access points that work and we need wireless access points.
We know and understand that increasingly those two things are a reality and that people are moving around, so this is what has been built into the new standard that we have worked on with PSPC. All new fit-ups have wired and wireless access points so employees are able to function. It also allows us to deal with the changing security requirements. On top of that, the networks are changing, and we're moving to what we call “zero trust” so that at any time, on any device, we're able to make sure that public servants are able to work.
In order to be digital, you need access to the tools, so we need to make sure that access and connectivity, like heat and light, are there and are functional, and not too slow, because then this doesn't work. It has to be of a quality, a security and an availability, and that's what's being built into the standard. That's what we're working to establish for all new federal workplaces. Frankly, the harder part is the retrofit, the going back into older existing buildings, but the technology is improving. We've sent a challenge to industry, and we're accelerating the work in that space as well.
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
That's fantastic.
I know one of the things your organization has spent a lot of time assisting with is a pilot project called GCcoworking. For the benefit of colleagues, that is a pilot project whereby employees from different departments can enter an office environment that is closer to their homes or, when they're on the road, have access to all the technology tools and the required security.
Can you talk a little about GCcoworking and the technology enablement you have done there?
President, Shared Services Canada
Essentially, the question is about a fundamental shift. Right now a lot of people feel they come into their office, sit down at the same desk, the same phone. These GC collaborating spaces are not that. They are a set of standard spaces where a public servant can come in, plug in their tablet, get to their network, their phone number pops up and they're able to function. It doesn't require them to go to the same workplace.
The experience from employees who have moved into this space is exceptionally positive. It allows teams to self-organize, to meet where they need to. It allows people flexibility to be closer to home and to better manage the work-life challenges they face. The feedback from employees as we stand up plans to return to the workplace—because we never really stopped working, so it's not a return to work but a return to the workplace—is that those spaces will be extremely important in providing them the flexibility they will need if there are problems with day care, school and other things. They're a great tool. I suspect the feedback from those pilots will be quite positive and there will be a move to accelerate them.
In this new world there will obviously be some cleanliness and hygiene issues we will have to sort through to make sure it is done safely, but from a functionality point of view, that's the concept, that's the model and that's the flexibility it provides employees and teams.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
We'll now go to our final two interventions. These are two and a half minute interventions, starting with Monsieur Barsalou-Duval.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Earlier, it was said several times that cloud computing was good for computer security.
I'm not a computer security specialist, but does data or emails from MPs that are stored on their computer's hard drive end up on private companies' cloud servers?
President, Shared Services Canada
Mr. Chair, in response to the member's question, as he alluded to, cloud is just an exceptionally large data centre that is often multi-tenant and allows the vendor to be able to scale up. What is unique about the way the Government of Canada has approached cloud is that we have imposed our security requirements. As Mr. Jones said, protected B is an example. We have physical requirements that they have to reside in Canada. They have physical security requirements. The employees have to be cleared. Where we are able to, we work with security partners to go in and physically audit those security requirements.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Sir, my question is whether or not data is being held by private providers. Is there any outsourcing of cloud computing or is it done directly by government or government services?
President, Shared Services Canada
The cloud services providers are running those data centres. That would include the data in there, but again I must underscore that it's done to the standards we impose on them with respect to the storage and encryption of that data. That would include backups, the ability to restore and who would be able to unencrypt that data.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Are these suppliers all Canadian or are there some from other countries?
President, Shared Services Canada
It is a mix. We have the large multinationals, Amazon web services, Microsoft Azure, to Canadian companies like ThinkOn. The key is they're subject to the same requirements. They must operate in Canada, so we are not subject to things like the Patriot Act and others. The data resides solely in Canada, and we have full ability to physically visit, inspect and verify the security claims.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you very much.
We will go to our final two and a half minute intervention.
My understanding, Mr. Green, is that you have ceded your time to Mr. McCauley. Is that correct?
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you very much.
Mr. McCauley, you have the final intervention for two and a half minutes.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Thanks.
Mr. Jones, just back to you, again in your opening remarks, you said, “Finally, it is important to note that the Government of Canada has a strong and valuable relationship with our international cyber partners. We...share information, which has significant impact on protecting our respective countries' safety and security.”
This goes back to Huawei. We're the only one of the Five Eyes that has not banned Huawei from our 5G or the major role. How will this affect us? Do we risk being excluded from the sharing of vital information if we move ahead with something like Huawei?
