http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1097878208404_93287408/?hub=SciTech Canadian Press Oct. 15, 2004 OTTAWA - A high-level national task force is being assembled to help Canada steel its defences against potential cyber-attacks by terrorists. The head of Canada's electronic spy agency said the panel of private- and public-sector officials will help the country catch up to the United States in securing cyberspace. Communications Security Establishment chief Keith Coulter noted Washington has already begun moving to protect their own key grids and networks. "From my perspective, it is essential that we take this step as well,'' Coulter said Friday in a speech to members of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies. Elements of Canada's critical infrastructure -- including power grids, hospitals, banks and other businesses -- rely on digital networks to conduct their affairs, he said. Shoring up those systems cannot be accomplished by the federal government alone, he added. The national task force, now being planned by the Public Safety Department, will be established in the coming months. CSE, perhaps Canada's most secretive agency, has the dual role of helping protect crucial information-technology systems and eavesdropping on foreign communications. Coulter noted Canada's recently released national security policy commits it to strengthening its approach to cyber-protection. "As the policy points out, the threat of cyber-attacks is real, and the consequences can be severe.'' As part of its mission, CSE collects and processes telephone, fax and computer communications of foreign states, corporations and individuals. The federal government uses intelligence sifted from the data to support troops abroad, catch terrorists and further Canada's economic goals. Coulter lifted the veil of secrecy shrouding the spy agency, at least part way, in describing a low point following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Various trends had caused "a serious erosion'' of CSE's ability to intercept valuable intelligence, he said. "By late 2001, as we faced the implications of 9/11, the resources needed to keep up -- human as well as technical -- were in too short supply at CSE. "Our workforce was thinly spread, and we were hurting in terms of keeping pace with changing technologies. We needed financial investment to move ahead.'' The federal government provided cash infusions and lifted a restriction on the spy service's ability to tap into any communication involving Canadians. Previously, for example, if a known member of the al-Qaida terrorist group communicated with someone in Canada, even if the person was a foreign operative, CSE could not listen in. CSE must still focus on foreign people and organizations, but may now intercept a conversation that happens to include a person in Canada. Coulter rejected the popular suggestion spy agencies like CSE are giant vacuum cleaners. "We're reported to suck up all communications. But that is not how the business works today,'' he insisted. "What we really do is to use our brain power and the latest in technology to selectively hunt for what we are looking for within virtually endless communications haystacks and electronic highways, all of which are in virtually constant flux.'' CSE and agencies in the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand share intercepted communications of interest with one another. Of particular importance is CSE's relationship with its American counterpart, the National Security Agency, Coulter said. "At all levels, this co-operation is close and productive. CSE and NSA share intelligence, tackle common problems posed by changing technology and track threats to our collective security. "This partnership provides Canada with invaluable access to American intelligence and technology. While CSE is by far the smaller partner in this relationship, both sides derive significant benefit from it,'' he added. "Indeed, at this juncture, the sharing of some of CSE's unique capabilities represents a significant element of Canada's contribution to the global war on terrorism.'' _________________________________________ Open Source Vulnerability Database (OSVDB) Everything is Vulnerable - http://www.osvdb.org/
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