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MPs want annual national-security reports, aid for businesses to thwart cyber threats

Mar 13, 2023 | 10:26 AM

OTTAWA — A committee of MPs is calling on the federal government to issue an overarching annual national-security threat assessment.

The House committee on public safety says the various bodies that handle national security sometimes operate in silos, and a patchwork of reports come from different agencies.

The MPs suggest someone should gather the recommendations and create an annual priority list.

The committee wants the Communications Security Establishment to better inform smaller businesses about how to prevent cyber attacks and to provide tax breaks for companies to better protect their data. 

The report proposes the government work with internet service providers and social-media platforms “to counteract online bots that are amplifying state-sponsored disinformation.”

The committee is also calling for more transparency on Russian disinformation, a review of procurement policies and to speed up the modernization of North America’s aerospace defence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.

The Canadian Press