The Canadian government said it will invest the money in strengthening governmental IT systems, partnering with industry to improve their cybersecurity safeguards, and promoting cybersecurity education and awareness.
Part of that money, C$3.5 million, will be used to set up a 24/7 Information Protection Center to combat cyber hackers and attacks.
“The strategy complements the efforts of the digital economy strategy in Canada and builds upon legislation introduced by the government, such as anti-spam legislation set out in the Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act and amendments to the Criminal Code to create new offenses related to obtaining, possessing, and trafficking in identity documents or identity information,” commented Tony Clement, Canada’s minister of industry.
Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy is built on three pillars:
- Securing government systems: The government will put in place structures, tools and personnel to meet its obligations for cybersecurity.
- Partnering to secure critical cyber systems outside the federal government: In cooperation with provincial and territorial governments and the private sector, the government will support initiatives and take steps to strengthen the cyber resiliency of its critical infrastructure sectors.
- Helping Canadians to be secure online: The government will assist Canadians in getting the information they need to protect themselves and their families online.
The government estimates that nearly two million Canadians were victims of online identity theft in 2008, and identity theft is estimated to cost the Canadian economy C$2 billion annually. The new strategy is intended to bring those figures down substantially.