Canada's National Cyber Security Strategy for 2025

Canada's National Cyber Security Strategy for 2025
Photo by Juan Rojas / Unsplash

Canada's National Cyber Security Strategy for 2025 is a comprehensive plan to secure Canada's digital future by addressing evolving cyber threats and promoting cyber resilience. The strategy emphasizes collaboration between the government, private sector, academia, and citizens to protect Canadians and Canadian businesses.

Key aspects of the strategy:

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  • Overarching Principles:
    • Whole-of-society engagement: The strategy recognizes that all Canadians play a role in improving national cyber resilience. It aims to deepen partnerships with various stakeholders, including different levels of government, Indigenous communities, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
    • Agile Leadership: Recognizing the rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats, the strategy emphasizes the development of flexible and collaborative solutions through issue-specific action plans.
  • Pillars of the Strategy:
    • Pillar 1: Protecting Canadians and Canadian Businesses:
      • Forging whole-of-society partnerships.
      • Defending Canadian interests and values internationally.
      • Promoting national cyber awareness and hygiene.
    • Pillar 2: Cyber Security Industry Leadership:
      • Establishing Canada as a trusted innovator.
      • Growing the foundational workforce.
      • Supporting targeted research.
    • Pillar 3: Detecting and Disrupting Cyber Threat Actors:
      • Identifying, deterring, and defending against cyber threats.
      • Improving capacity to combat cybercrime.
      • Making critical systems more resilient.
  • Initiatives and Programs:
    • Canadian Cyber Defence Collective (CCDC): Public Safety Canada (PS) and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) will establish the CCDC as a multi-stakeholder engagement body to enhance cyber resilience through public-private partnerships.
    • Cybersecurity Attribution Data Centre (CADC): The government has invested in the CADC at the University of New Brunswick to analyze cyber threats and train AI cyber security specialists.
    • Get Cyber Safe Program: This program provides Canadians with access to cyber hygiene tips and education.
    • Cyber Security Cooperation Program (CSCP): Public Safety Canada (PS) will provide grants and contributions to initiatives aimed at reducing cybercrime, protecting critical infrastructure, increasing cyber security awareness and skills, and improving Canada's competitiveness.
    • Express Entry: The government will continue to use programs like Express Entry to attract skilled foreign workers in cyber security.
  • Addressing Cyber Threats:
    • The National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026 highlights the cyber threats facing individuals and organizations in Canada and offers insight into how the cyber threat landscape is predicted to evolve up to 2026.
    • Identified trends that will shape Canada’s cyber threat environment until 2026 include: the amplification of cyberspace threats due to AI technologies, the evolution of cyber threat actor tradecraft to evade detection, the unpredictability caused by geopolitically inspired non-state actors, the increase in cyber vulnerability due to vendor concentration, and the use of dual-use commercial services in the digital crossfire.
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  • Roles and Responsibilities:
    • Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre): Provides expert advice, guidance, and services on cyber security. It also leads the government's operational response during cyber events.
    • Public Safety Canada: Responsible for cyber security funding and establishing the Canadian Cyber Defence Collective (CCDC).
    • Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Investigates major cybercrime threats.
    • Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS): Investigates and mitigates national security cyber threats.
  • Securing Products and Services:
    • The government will explore legislation, regulation, and incentives to promote the adoption of secure technologies and practices.
    • It will also explore Internet of Things (IoT) labeling to help Canadians identify and compare cyber security protections in products.
  • Accessible Cyber Security:
    • The strategy aims to make cyber security more accessible to all Canadians, including Indigenous communities and rural municipalities.
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