Canada's National Security Policy

Responding to the changing global security environment, in April 2004 the Government of Canada released a national strategy aimed at enhancing our nation's security. The strategy, entitled Securing an Open Society: Canada's National Security Policy, focuses on protecting our nation and its citizens, ensuring Canada is not a base for threats to our allies, and contributing to international security.

In support of these objectives, CSEC works closely with Canada's other security and intelligence organizations to:

• provide foreign intelligence to the Government of Canada according to Cabinet-approved priorities
• strengthen Canada's capacity for secure communications
• protect its vital electronic information and information systems

CSEC and the National Security Policy - Accomplishments

In April 2005, the Government of Canada released a progress report on the implementation of the National Security Policy. The report highlighted a number of CSEC's accomplishments. Among them, it noted that CSEC had:

• Enhanced its security intelligence collection and assessment capabilities significantly
• Expanded counter-terrorism operations
• Hired additional employees to support increased security intelligence operations
• Enhanced its predictive and preventative analysis capabilities to better secure the systems of greatest importance to the Government of Canada
• Increased collaboration within government and with international and industry partners
• Contributed to establishing a secure inter-departmental communications network