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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 75

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 19, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, Lib.)
  • May/19/22 10:23:23 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Kitchener Centre. It is a pleasure to stand before this committee to speak about the vast and integral work that Shared Services Canada, or SSC, does on behalf of Canadians and how it is keeping the private information of Canadians safe and secure in an increasingly hostile digital world. SSC plays a vital role in supporting government operations. As a common service provider, SSC works to support the whole of the federal government as it delivers digital programs and services that meet the needs of Canadians. SSC continues to invest in technology and expertise that support an enterprise approach to its IT services and support by enabling federal government departments and agencies to shift toward the use of common IT systems. This approach is not only more efficient than individual departments working independently of one another when it comes to their IT, but also safer. An enterprise approach helps the government reduce duplicated costs, achieve faster turnarounds and enhance cross-departmental collaboration when addressing problems. It provides more secure and reliable services and reduces risk. Ultimately, it helps us serve Canadians better. SSC is working on several fronts to make smart, future-looking investments in the interest of better serving Canadians. This modern, adaptable digital approach is working to fully support the needs of Canadians. Through its data centres, networks and cloud service providers, SSC operates an infrastructure that powers the thousands of applications required for government operations that enable the delivery of essential digital services to Canadians. Over the course of the worldwide COVID pandemic, the Government of Canada has continued to serve Canadians. Much of that work was a result of SSC being able to keep the lights on during those dark and uncertain days. Throughout the pandemic, SSC adapted to our collective new realities by launching new online collaboration tools for thousands of public servants working from home. At the same time, SSC bolstered online portals vital to communicating with Canadians about programs and supports available to them and their families. This was no small achievement. To facilitate virtual work, SSC quickly performed major upgrades to the enterprise network, government-wide Internet and network security, the result being a modern, mobile workforce at the service of Canadians wherever they may be. Recognizing the increased global attention that hybrid working models are now receiving, SSC is continuing to work to implement the technology and network upgrades necessary to enable the effective communication and collaborative tools for employees who will return to their workplace. This kind of digital government needs a high-performing and resilient enterprise network. Shared Services Canada is responsible for providing network infrastructure and services to almost half a million users across government departments and agencies to effectively deliver services to Canadians. In an increasingly uncertain and hostile digital world, cybersecurity has become more important than ever, providing Canadians access to more and more programs and services online while simultaneously meeting the security and privacy expectations of the public. The national cybersecurity strategy announced in 2018 is working to keep Canadians safe from evolving cybersecurity threats that target Canadians, Canadian businesses and our critical infrastructure. I am pleased to note that budget 2022 proposes to provide $875.2 million over five years and $238.2 million thereafter for those necessary measures to nimbly address the rapidly evolving cyber-threat landscape. This includes $178.7 million over five years allocated to SSC and CSE.
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. George Chahal
  • May/19/22 10:29:13 p.m.
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As the Government of Canada becomes increasingly digital with public servants working both from home and at work sites, and with more and more services being delivered online to Canadians, cybersecurity becomes more and more of a concern. With remote working having become integral to our operation, the rising dependence of citizens, businesses, industries and governments on everything digital is only going to continue. We need a system that constantly monitors activity, verifies users and limits access within a system. Cybersecurity is and needs to be a priority of our government. Our public servants need to be provided with modern tools, up-to-date government IT systems and digital services delivered to Canadians that are secure, reliable and easy to use at any time from any device. Would the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, as the minister responsible for Shared Services Canada, please explain how Shared Services Canada is protecting our digital information?
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