Working to harden the nation’s cyber defenses, the Canadian federal government has announced $500 million in funding over the next five years to support the newly released national cybersecurity strategy, according to The Globe and Mail. An update from the 2010 plan, the development took two years, and involved consultations with industry, academics, and other experts. Of the new strategy, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale observed, “We must substantially strengthen Canada’s cybersecurity capabilities to better protect ourselves and our systems against evolving cyberthreats, while also enlarging our capacity to combat cybercrime and prosecute offenders.”
The focus of the strategy is split between three categories:
- Increased targeting of cybercrime, through detection, deterrence, and prosecution.
- Further integration of different cybersecurity efforts under a new Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity.
- Supporting private section efforts to develop protections for corporate and personal data.
While the plan offers a wide assortment of details, concerns already exist with respect to implementing all the provisions, given difficulties in finding sufficient cybersecurity professionals. Said executive director of the Council of Canadian Innovators, Benjamin Bergen to The Globe and Mail, “Cyber is the fastest growing ICT sector in the world and domestic innovators present an opportunity for our government to grow our economy and deploy world-class technology solutions for protecting Canada’s digital borders.”
Sources:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-cbr-scrt-strtg/index-en.aspx
