ARCHIVED - Public Safety Canada Response to Chapter 3 of the 2012 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada

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OTTAWA, October 23, 2012 — The Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Public Safety Minister, today responded to the tabling of the Auditor General of Canada's Fall Report in the House of Commons. Chapter 3 offers an overview of the importance of cyber security to Canadians and Canada's critical infrastructure.

"The report itself recognizes the positive steps that Public Safety Canada has taken, and it acknowledges the progress that the Government has made since the launch of our cyber security and critical infrastructure strategies in 2010," said Minister Toews. "We have, in fact, made exceptional progress, particularly in recent years, in the midst of an evolving threat environment. We are confronted by real and significant threats, and while there is still more to be done, our Government is committed to working with our partners to ensure continued progress."

In 2010, as part of the Government of Canada's commitment to defending Canada's critical infrastructure and cyber security, the Minister of Public Safety announced both Canada's Cyber Security Strategy and National Strategy and Action plan for Critical Infrastructure. These plans work to ensure the resilience of cyber systems and critical infrastructure vital to Canadian security and economic prosperity.

"We have been deeply engaged with the Government of Canada on critical infrastructure and cyber security and have built a strong partnership that helps industry to protect those assets that are critical to the safety, security and economic well-being of Canadians" said Jim Burpee, President and CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association. "Among examples of this collaboration are the memorandum of understanding CEA has with the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre on information and intelligence sharing, and participation at the National Cross Sector Forum."

In partnership with industry and all levels of government, the Government has taken action to meet its commitment to keeping Canada's cyber systems secure and to protecting critical infrastructure, including the following:

"As we've shown with our recent $155 million investment to strengthen Canada's cyber defenses, our Government is continuously working to enhance cyber security in Canada by identifying threats and vulnerabilities, and by preparing for and responding to all types of cyber incidents," said Minister Toews. "We will continue to work to strengthen our capacity to protect our critical infrastructure from cyber threats, to better protect Canada and Canadians."

Mr. Burpee congratulated the Government of Canada for recognizing the imperative of partnership, noting that the Government recognizes that the majority of critical infrastructure is owned and operated by private industry or other levels of government. "Through the National Strategy and Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure, launched two years ago, all of these players are engaged and working together to address Canada's cyber security challenges."

Public Safety Canada's responses to the OAG's recommendations are included in the Fall 2012 Report. It is also posted online at: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca.

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Information:
Julie Carmichael
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety
613-991-2924

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657

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