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Home   About us Departmental reports Government On-Line Report 2004-2005 -- Summary
Table of contents - Online critical infrastructure protection service
- Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre
- Website integration
- Benefits for Canadians
- Conclusion
In 2003, with the creation of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative led by the former Office of Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness became part of the PSEPC website. This report summarizes the progress made in 2004-05. 1. Online critical infrastructure protection service Canada’s critical infrastructure comprises those systems, facilities and networks in which any significant failure or disruption would interfere with the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians. It is found in 10 broad, but highly-interdependent sectors that underpin our quality of life, comprising: - Energy and utilities (e.g. electrical power, natural gas, oil production and transmission systems)
- Communications and information technology (e.g. telecommunications, broadcasting systems, software, hardware and networks including the Internet)
- Finance (e.g. banking, securities and investment)
- Health care (e.g. hospitals, health care and blood supply facilities, laboratories and pharmaceuticals)
- Food (e.g. safety, distribution, agriculture and food industry)
- Water (e.g. drinking water and wastewater management)
- Transportation (e.g. air, rail, marine and surface)
- Safety (e.g. chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear safety, hazardous materials, search and rescue, emergency services and dams)
- Government (e.g. services, facilities, information networks, assets and key national sites and monuments)
- Manufacturing (e.g. defence industrial base, chemical industry)
About 90 percent of Canada’s infrastructure is owned or operated by the public sector or by other governments. Therefore, an effective means of gathering and sharing information from and among these diverse stakeholder groups is necessary. To facilitate this, the Department has implemented web-enabled solutions that foster and facilitate information sharing among the key infrastructure sectors. This GOL initiative -- the online critical infrastructure protection service -- is primarily informational in nature. It consists of information sharing technology and online consultation through secure websites with those industry and government organizations tasked with preparing critical infrastructure protection measures. The objective of this initiative is to better serve federal department clients, as well as provincial, territorial and municipal governments, businesses and the general Canadian public. Through the online critical infrastructure protection service, PSEPC aims to break down service silos and increase partnerships within, and across, departments in order to connect related information and services in a manner that benefits clients. It is also possible that interfaces, data and processes may be shared in this effort. 
2. Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre Key projects in 2004-2005 included the development of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) web page. This page serves as Canada’s focal point for dealing with cyber threats to our critical infrastructure. CCIRC is used across Canada’s critical infrastructure protection networks and sectors to respond to cyber threats and other cyber security issues. Additionally, a partnership with Microsoft’s Security Cooperation Program was established. Microsoft Canada and PSEPC collaborate in responding to computer security incidents and proactively seek to reduce the effect of cyber attacks. PSEPC benefits from this partnership in several ways, including advance notification of security information about to be released, and information about vulnerabilities currently being investigated by Microsoft.
During the 2004-2005 year, PSEPC worked diligently to integrate several websites (Office of Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness, National Crime Prevention Centre and Solicitor General of Canada) in an effort to improve service and offer clients bundled, well-organized information. In 2002, only basic reference information was provided. Enhancements including deepening of holdings and segmentation, as well as the addition of interactive tools, have brought the site to where it stands today. Future enhancements are planned, ensuring the PSEPC website offers Canadian governments, businesses and citizens up-to-date, accurate and relevant information. Service standards support the projects and enhancements undertaken as part of the GOL initiative. Thanks to the website enhancements, access to PSEPC’s information and services has markedly improved. For example, the Canadian Disaster Database (CDD) has been implemented, which allows clients to search a historical database of Canadian disasters. A visual version of the CDD has been planned and has been partially implemented. This tool will allow clients to select areas of interest directly on a map and will present results visually on a map of Canada. Thus far, the key projects and website improvements have been well received. Significant increases both in site visits and in the use of the e-channel are noted. Clients are also beginning to make use of other service channels. Through focus testing, PSEPC has received valuable feedback about their website enhancements. Clients have consistently rated site performance as “very satisfying” or “satisfying”. Compliments from other federal departments are constructive and positive. Coming from the target audience, such compliments are encouraging.
4. Benefits for Canadians Client benefits include easier access to information (i.e. the site is available all day, everyday); time savings (i.e. faster turnaround times for transactions, ranging from mere seconds to a couple of business days); improved information, leading to increased education, skills and professional development opportunities; and several non-quantifiable benefits. These include improved decision-making ability, elimination of geographic barriers, knowledge creation and sharing, increased transparency and accountability, and the establishment of greater trust. In addition, the online critical infrastructure protection service helps PSEPC deliver its mandate of providing comprehensive national leadership in terms of critical infrastructure protection, and of acting as the federal government’s primary agent responsible for national civil emergency preparedness, regardless of emergency type. By better enabling the Department to deliver its mandate, the GOL initiative is in turn contributing to the delivery of broader government objectives.
The online critical infrastructure protection service, the CCIRC web page and partnership with Microsoft, and the amalgamation of previous websites all improve client satisfaction levels. In addition, they enhance the ease with which clients and departmental employees interact through, and with, the site. The Department’s mandate, as described above, necessitates service integration and clear communication across all levels. The GOL initiative helps the Department achieve these requirements, and this, consequently, improves the protection of Canada’s critical infrastructure -- and thus Canadian citizens -- by ensuring all parties are in contact and are informed by the most up-to-date information.
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