The federal government has unveiled a new National Cyber Security Strategy to protect individuals and businesses and mitigate cyber threats.
According to public safety minister David McGuinty, the NCSS: “Securing Canada’s Digital Future” centers on a whole-of-society approach to cyber security. The country’s long-term intent is to bolster collaboration across all government levels, law enforcement, industry, Indigenous communities, academia, and global partners, limiting critical infrastructure disruptions. The strategy also intends to accelerate information sharing and facilitate compliance among partners on cyber incident prevention.
The NCSS will finance cyber security improvement initiatives such as awareness and education programs for children and youth that enhance digital resilience and preparation. Moreover, it backs critical infrastructure and cyber resilience across Canada and the US.
The strategy expands on the 2018 strategy that birthed the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security in the Communications Security Establishment and the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. An initial investment of $37.8 million will be made over six years in line with the NCSS.
“Canada must continue to be a leader in cyber security, especially in the face of persistent and ongoing cyber threats,” McGuinty said in a statement. “The new National Cyber Security Strategy demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to a whole-of-society and agile approach to protecting our nation’s cyber security for citizens across our great country, for Canadian businesses and for essential cross-border services and critical infrastructure.”
On December 13, 2024, the federal government said it was investing in launching a Cyber Attribution Data Centre at the University of New Brunswick; this represented the first step in improving relationships with academia.
The “National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026” report revealed that malicious cyber threat actors jeopardized Canadians’ safety and Canada’s economic prosperity and national security through fraud, scams and ransomware targeting critical infrastructure and essential services.