Communications Security Establishment – Supplementary Estimates (B)

The Communications Security Establishment plays a critical role in protecting Canada’s security, while safeguarding Canadians’ rights.
The Communications Security Establishment provides valuable foreign intelligence to inform the Government of Canada’s decision making and protect national security.
Its sophisticated cyber and technical expertise also helps identify, prepare for, and defend against threats to Canada and its cyber systems and networks.
Transfers included in these Supplementary Estimates (B) will provide necessary funding to enable Communications Security Establishment to:
- Operationalize new authorities in the Communications Security Establishment Act;
- Fund research that will ensure CSE can keep pace with advancements in quantum technology;
- Secure cloud services used by the Government of Canada; and
- Transfer funds to Global Affairs Canada for staff posted at liaison offices abroad.

Key Facts

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is receiving $10.8M through these Estimates. This includes:
- Transfer from National Defence to CSE for Joint Initiatives: $6.9M
- Transfer from Shared Services Canada to CSE for the Digital Communications and Collaboration Program: $4.7M
- Transfer from CSE to National Defence for joint co-operative research and development: $80,000
- Transfer from the CSE to Global Affairs Canada to support departmental staff located at liaison offices abroad: $738,869

CSE’s 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates (B) include a combined transfer of $6.9M for joint initiatives.
This transfer will enable CSE to operationalize its new authorities under the Communications Security Establishment Act to provide assistance to National Defence on cyber activities.

CSE’s 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates (B) also include a transfer of $4.7M to support security monitoring for the cloud based Digital Communications and Collaboration Program (DCCP).
This program will ensure that Government of Canada departments using various cloud services will be able to communicate securely up to the Protected B classification.

CSE’s 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates (B) include a transfer of $80,000 to be redirected to Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to support research in quantum technologies.
These funds will enable researchers who have already received an NSERC Discovery Grant to apply for a supplement.
CSE is supporting research and development projects related to quantum technology to ensure it is able to assess both the threats and opportunities posed by advances in this field.

Finally, CSE’s 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates (B) include a transfer of $738,869 associated with various CSE liaison office positions in other countries for which GAC provides administrative support.
GAC is a common service provider for Government of Canada operations abroad and receives compensation for the increased cost of operations resulting from staff being posted at Canadian missions and liaison offices by other government departments.

Version 5; 2020-02-26 – Source: CSE QP Card, 2019-12-03