Ottawa – New measures to ensure Canada does not export sensitive technology to foreign adversaries are among the changes Ottawa is taking to support the country’s economic security.
Other options include facilitating fines for companies that do not comply with investment verification rules and mapping supply chains to identify critical vulnerabilities, according to a federal advisory document.
The document, published through the Access to Information Act, was circulated to key countries in industry, academia and civil society last spring to discuss views on better protecting Canada from hostile players exploiting the country’s technologically advanced sectors. .
Canada’s Public Safety is expected to publish a summary of the feedback soon.
The document says Canada benefits from most of the country’s foreign investment, trade in Canadian goods and technology, and research partnerships between foreign organizations and Canadian universities and research institutions.
However, it added, some foreign and non-state actors are trying to acquire technology or build trade partnerships that could potentially threaten Canada’s national security and long-term economic prosperity.
“Canadian companies, in almost every sector of our economy, have been targeted.”
The frequency and complexity of state-sponsored threats is increasing, the consultation document added.
Threats come in the form of espionage, theft and cyberattacks.
However, the government warns that they can also be conducted in secret in otherwise legitimate transactions such as foreign investment in sectors and industries that are an integral part of Canada’s security, or the purchase or transfer of sensitive goods, technology and know-how that are not currently available. subject to export control.
Other threats include the purchase of controlled goods and intellectual property through counterfeit companies, brokers or others who misrepresent end-use, as well as foreign-funded partnerships between Canadian researchers and adversaries.
The consultation document does not mention specific concerns. However, Canadian security officials have long warned that Russia and China, in particular, are targeting Canada’s classified information and modern technology.
However, the exercise aims to ensure that Canada’s approach is effective in responding to threats, regardless of the source.
Among the federal proposals:
– Establish a constantly updated list of companies, research institutions, governments and people subject to specific export authorization requirements to help Canadian companies feel more secure knowing that their goods are not being shipped to a buyer who is a problem;
– more flexible or even tougher penalties for violating investment verification rules designed to protect Canada from threats to national security;
– government assistance to companies to better understand the vulnerabilities in their global supply chains for goods delivery;
– and providing federal venture capital to sensitive technology firms to circumvent the need for foreign investment from potentially risky sources.
The government has initiated the creation of national security guidelines to help protect federal-funded research.
The recent federal budget included nearly $ 160 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $ 33 million now to fully implement the guidelines, largely through work with colleges and universities.
The consultation paper also asks how different levels of government can work together to better protect sensitive and emerging goods and technologies, critical infrastructure and personal data.
Cybersecurity is a vital issue that affects businesses large and small, as breaches can mean a loss of customer confidentiality as well as operational productivity, said Mark Agnew, senior vice president of policy and government relations at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“So this really stands out to me as such an important part of the conversation about threats to national security.
Add Comment