The Canadian Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (CSTAC) allows the private and public sectors to exchange information and to collaborate strategically on current and evolving issues that may affect the telecommunications infrastructure, including cyber security threats.
CSTAC was established in 2010 to support two key Government of Canada initiatives—the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure and Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy.
Canadians rely on the public telecommunications networks (PTN) for digital economies and social connections. The Canadian telecommunications infrastructure evolved from legacy circuit-switched to packet-based infrastructure. This change brought with it new risks in the cyber domain as well as complex infrastructure interdependencies both within and across all other critical infrastructure sectors. These risks, coupled with a global telecommunications equipment market, require government and industry to collaborate in adopting an all-hazards risk management approach to strengthen network resiliency.
Objectives
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CSTAC objectives include:
- establish a trusted public-private partnership to exchange information and facilitate the provision of advice to the Government of Canada on relevant matters of security and risk management
- enable a common understanding and situational awareness of all-hazards affecting PTN security and resiliency
- exchange information on approaches by other countries on the protection of critical infrastructure
- exchange information with other Canadian critical infrastructure sector networks
- work collaboratively to analyze, develop and implement measures to protect the critical telecommunications infrastructure
- identify any gaps in accountabilities for critical infrastructure protection
Membership
CSTAC membership includes senior level leadership within the federal government and the telecommunications industry.
Government members
- Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
- Public Safety Canada (PS)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS)
- Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Industry members
Canadian Telecom Resiliency (CTR) Working Group
The Canadian Telecom Resiliency (CTR) Working Group works with public and private sectors to collaborate and exchange information to coordinate and facilitate:
- the development and implementation of policies, plans and measures to effectively deal with infrastructure interdependencies and their impact on the telecom industry and Canadian critical telecommunications infrastructure
- the sharing of information and coordinating efforts to prepare for, respond to and recover from any incident or event impacting the Canadian critical telecommunications infrastructure
Canadian Telecommunication Cyber Protection (CTCP) Working Group
The Canadian Telecommunication Cyber Protection (CTCP) Working Group works to promote the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the Public Telecommunication Network as it may detect, protect, mitigate and recover from cyber attacks and Indicators of Compromise. There are four pillars that comprise the CTCP Working Group:
- architecture
- policy
- operations
- response
The CTCP works with other entities implicated in critical infrastructure sectors and with federal and provincial partners towards sustained and trusted collaboration.
Guidance and Best Practices
- Telecommunications Network Resiliency in Canada: A Path Forward
- Security Best Practice Policy for CTSPs
- Critical Infrastructure Protection Standard for CTSPs
- Network Security Monitoring and Detection Standard for CTSPs
- Security Incident Response Standard for CTSPs
- Information Sharing, Reporting and Privacy Standard for CTSPs
- Vendor Management Standard for CTSPs
- Awareness Standard for CTSPs
Contact the Canadian Security Telecom Advisory Committee.