(Ottawa) About $ 35,000 for a computer, then $ 15,000 to maintain it each year. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the federal government to invest heavily in a secure communications network for ministers and their deputy ministers.
The many remote meetings at which ministers had to regularly approve billions of dollars in new spending to support businesses and workers were imperative to be safe from cyber attacks.
According to information obtained by Press, the Privy Council Office, which is sort of the Prime Minister’s department, made secure teleconferencing terminals available to all ministers and deputy ministers at the onset of the health crisis. The bill was high: each terminal cost $ 35,000. Justin Trudeau’s cabinet now has 38 ministers.
To this initial sum for each terminal must be added an annual fee of $ 15,000 for maintenance and upgrading, among other things, reveal documents obtained under the Access to Information Act.
The cost of installing such secure terminals in a conference room was estimated between $ 50,000 and $ 75,000, depending on the size of the screen.
“The Privy Council Office recently implemented, in collaboration with Shared Services Canada and the Communications Security Establishment, a secure videoconferencing solution. Along with the expanded distribution of secure mobile devices at the onset of the pandemic, the reach of the technology has been increased, as has the reliability of our secure communication tools, ”reads a memo from the Office of the United Nations. Privy Council sent to all federal departments.
“The first step in implementing secure videoconferencing was to quickly provide equipment to ministers and deputy ministers so that they can participate remotely in cabinet committee meetings in a secure manner,” it adds. .
From February 2020
Cabinet committees began using this technology at the end of February 2020, at the start of the pandemic, it is specified. While secure teleconferencing terminals were provided to ministers and deputy ministers by the Privy Council Office, departments had to budget for additional users such as senior managers.
According to Steve Waterhouse, cybersecurity expert and former IT security officer at the Department of Defense, the federal government has made a wise move by investing in secure communications services.
These communication systems are very expensive. But the reliability and protection of communications they offer are unmatched in the market. This is necessary in the context of an emergency like the pandemic.
Steve Waterhouse, cybersecurity expert and former IT security officer at the Department of Defense
“Yes, it might sound expensive, but you can’t buy these terminals from Staples,” said Waterhouse. He added that ministers could not communicate securely using apps like Teams Where Zoom.
During the pandemic, the Prime Minister established a cabinet committee on COVID-19 which was co-chaired by the Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and the current Minister of Health, Jean-Yves-Duclos, who was then President of the Treasury Board. The members of this committee met virtually on a daily basis to assess the measures the government needed to take to counter the effects of COVID-19 on public health and the economy, among others.
Departments targeted by cyber attacks
During this crisis, certain federal government departments were also the target of numerous cyber attacks. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which was tasked by the Trudeau government to quickly disburse tens of billions of dollars in emergency aid to workers, students and businesses during the pandemic , was bombarded by hackers seeking to steal the personal information of Canadians.
Press reported last year that in August 2020, the CRA had to fend off 350,000 hacking attempts in less than 12 hours.
A bombing which had forced the CRA to redouble its vigilance to prevent hackers from breaking through the wall that protects taxpayer data.
Other ministries, notably the finance ministry, have also been the target of cyber attacks in the past.
A spokesperson for the Privy Council Office said it was imperative to secure government communications during the pandemic.
“This initiative was designed to ensure that senior government officials, including ministers, deputy ministers and people working on sensitive files, had technology to enable them to communicate while being protected from cyber threats and malicious intrusions, ”said Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesperson for the Privy Council Office.
During the pandemic, these measures were essential to keep government operations safe while complying with public health guidelines, and they provide a solid foundation for the evolution of the hybrid government workplace when it comes to secure discussions. .
Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesperson for the Privy Council Office
“For operational security reasons, we are unable to comment on the specific installations of these systems or provide detailed information regarding the government’s secure communication capabilities,” he said.
In Quebec, ministers and deputy ministers were already equipped with secure laptops before the pandemic, according to the Minister of the Executive Council.
However, his spokesperson could not tell Press whether new devices had to be supplied for virtual cabinet meetings and how much they would have cost. “This information must remain confidential,” replied Antoine Tousignant.
“Devices provided to civil service and political staff are standardized and secured based on best practices and evolving threats,” he added.