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Results: 1 - 15 of 15
Geoff Gruson
View Geoff Gruson Profile
Geoff Gruson
2013-04-25 9:18
I fully agree. I would add one point of comparison to push it a little further. We did a survey of 190 countries through Interpol last year and asked them what they were doing about cybercrime.
Every one of those countries was separately and uniquely setting up cyber-centres, cyber-processing, cyber-structures, cyber-facilities, all of which leads to this issue of a lack of intelligence, a lack of integration, and a lack of capacity in policing to deal with the issues that are coming at us in the future. Certainly this is one of those areas we have to deal with.
View Laurie Hawn Profile
CPC (AB)
Okay.
To Deputy Commissioner Graham, with technology come new forms of crime. We're always trying to stay one step ahead, obviously. How are we doing on that with respect to new-technology crime?
Steve Graham
View Steve Graham Profile
Steve Graham
2013-01-29 9:16
I think the Internet has been very empowering for society generally, and with it come different types of crime, whether it's Internet fraud, Internet-facilitated fraud, or something as tragic as child exploitation. It's certainly changing the dynamic in how we allocate resources and the kind of training required for people to be technologically savvy in order to do those kinds of investigations. It's changing the dynamic quite a bit, and we're recognizing that change throughout the system in how we train and develop officers. The demand currently is outstripping capacity, but we're working hard to catch up.
Normand Landry
View Normand Landry Profile
Normand Landry
2012-11-20 16:01
There are three points I would like to make.
First, there has to be a fundamental change in attitude, meaning, we need to stop seeing privacy protection as an expenditure for social media sites and other organizations. Protecting the privacy of Canadians is a long-term investment that will ensure better trust in the product by users and that makes it possible to drastically reduce the very real risks associated with cybercrime in particular. Protecting everyone's personal information is an investment, not an expense. Once we see the problem from that perspective, we will have already taken a huge step forward.
Second, we are seeing that, in this increasingly digital society, we are quite simply reproducing social and economic inequalities. In fact, the privacy protection problems first and foremost affect all the most socio-economically vulnerable groups in Canada. So it is important to think about privacy as an issue of social and economic inequality.
Third, we need a national privacy protection strategy for the digital era. It should be consistent, involve academics and independent organizations that focus on the issue, but it would also require extensive research, which should be of quality and subject to concrete applications that would enable Canadians across the country to better protect their privacy in a digital environment. Basically, it would be very important to establish this kind of national strategy.
View Charlie Angus Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Madam Stoddart, thank you for your excellent reports. In our business we read many reports. Often it seems reports are just data, but sometimes we come across a report like yours, which has a clear vision of the issues of privacy, the state's role, and the rights of the individual. I think it's a very powerful statement.
You state that security and privacy are not opposing values. You also state:
...the state also has an obligation to treat individuals with respect—to preserve their dignity and to safeguard their personal information.
This is not a mere frill or a “nice-to-have”; it is fundamental to the trust relationship that must exist between citizens and their government.
I think that's a very clear and powerful manifesto with which Canadians would agree. The question is how to ensure that this trust relationship is not eroded.
I'm particularly concerned, for example, with Bill C-30 and the lack of protocols that will exist in terms of being able to collect and hold personal data. People have raised concerns about Bill C-30. I know that you've raised concerns. The minister, Vic Toews, said that people who raise concerns are on the same side as the child pornographers, which I find to be a very offensive statement about the issue of privacy.
What are your concerns about the lack of protocols in Bill C-30 to protect the privacy rights of citizens?
Jennifer Stoddart
View Jennifer Stoddart Profile
Jennifer Stoddart
2012-04-26 11:16
Thank you very much for that question, honourable member.
In fact in the last few years we've been focusing increasingly on matters of national security and the maintenance of privacy rights because of the various new programs that have been developed.
We published a document that's available on our website called “A Matter of Trust”, which sets forth the principles that we apply and that have been approved over the years within our country and by our courts, in terms of privacy principles and to the extent to which they have been respected. We hope that's a kind of blueprint or a series of suggestions for developing programs on the one hand and for telling Canadians what they can expect on the other hand.
In terms of C-30—in fact, I recently noted in going back over some material—I believe this was introduced under another name and title as far back as April 2009. So for not less than three years we have been commenting on this, both formally and informally. We've been meeting with department officials, and we remain very concerned with the architecture of the bill. Notably—and we have not changed what we've been saying for the last three years—it's with the ability to get personal information of Canadians without authorization, the fact that there is not a proper oversight framework, and that Canadians would remain largely unaware of what is going on.
While we do understand that technology and the access to very complex and efficient technology on the part of people who wish to do no good has complicated the work of our law enforcement forces in Canada, we think we need to see a clear explanation to the public to understand why new enhanced powers would be needed. Once that explanation has been done, we expect to see in any further iteration of the law—or we would hope to see—a more complete supervision framework as well as a role for independent authorization of access to personal information.
View Dean Del Mastro Profile
Cons. Ind. (ON)
Okay, thank you.
I'm pleased that 32 of the 34 recommendations that you made previously were fully or substantively instituted. That's good news.
I'm also pleased to hear that Google is cooperating so well. I'm not meaning to give props to Jacob Glick and Google here in Canada, but I can't remember the last time I used another search engine online. I'm glad to hear that they're returning the loyalty that Canadians have extended to them with a cooperative spirit. That's good to hear.
I wanted to ask another question. Mr. Angus talked a little bit about Bill C-30. I know that's not what you're here specifically to address. Of course, notwithstanding the fact that I don't believe Canadians should be providing any more information than what they absolutely are required to by law, I think...as you said, governments have a duty to protect that information; they require it for the operation of government. At the same time, I'm always concerned that there is an element within society that uses rules like privacy laws to hide illegal activity, to hide themselves amongst otherwise law-abiding citizens, and to use those protections that we fight for, that I think all parties fight for and have always fought for. They utilize those protections, those privacy laws, to do criminal acts.
It's never going to be easy to determine...and I think it's true to say there are sacrifices we all must make in order to make sure our law enforcement officers and so forth have the ability to track down those who would otherwise seek to exploit our privacy laws to break the law. You talked about having a conversation with Canadians—I'm paraphrasing—to justify why these changes need to be made. Have you been approached by groups or police and law enforcement that have talked to you about some of that rationale, about some of the things they're seeing? My local police chief came and talked to me, and it was very disturbing what he indicated to me about the challenge they're having tracking down, specifically, people who are trafficking in child pornography.
Chantal Bernier
View Chantal Bernier Profile
Chantal Bernier
2012-04-26 11:27
Indeed we agree with you that privacy cannot stand in the way of public safety and cannot be used to shield illegal activities. That is our starting point. We have consulted widely, I would say, with chiefs of police, the RCMP, and CSIS, as well as with civil society, to truly make the distinctions that are appropriate in consideration of this legislation.
The commissioner earlier referred to the document called “A Matter of Trust”. You would find if very helpful, I believe, in that it puts forward an analytical framework, precisely to make the distinctions that you suggest must be made.
That analytical framework calls, first of all, for empirical evidence of the need for certain powers that do indeed call for breach of privacy in certain circumstances. Secondly, it calls for the justification to keep the personal information that is collected, and then of course an oversight mechanism to ensure that all the rights that must be upheld are upheld.
View Scott Andrews Profile
Ind. (NL)
View Scott Andrews Profile
2012-04-26 11:35
I have a question on Bill C-30. Your counterpart in Ontario, Ann Cavoukian, has been quite critical of Bill C-30, and she's been quite vocal. Do you share some of her comments regarding Bill C-30?
Jennifer Stoddart
View Jennifer Stoddart Profile
Jennifer Stoddart
2012-04-26 11:36
As I mentioned, we've been following this for three years and have done a lot of substantive work that we have shared with provincial and territorial privacy commissioners. That's why we could together take a position on it. I think there's a common viewpoint among privacy commissioners across Canada.
View Alexandre Boulerice Profile
NDP (QC)
Thank you.
In this current climate, a sword of Damocles is hanging over our heads. I am talking about Bill C-30, which the government wants to use to provide the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and law enforcement agencies with direct access to personal data through Internet service providers. I have a feeling that will increase your workload considerably.
What kind of consequences do you think pieces of legislation such as Bill C-30—which enables Internet providers to directly search Canadians' computers—will have on your work, in terms of protecting personal, private and confidential citizen data? In addition, considering the cuts to your budget, how will you deal with that type of situation?
Jennifer Stoddart
View Jennifer Stoddart Profile
Jennifer Stoddart
2012-04-26 12:13
Bill C-30 does not give us any specific additional roles. If my memory serves me correctly, the bill mentions that we can conduct audits, but we can do that anyway. What we're worried about is the overall content of the bill. Since the bill is currently being discussed and the same issues have been raised for three years, our efforts are currently focused on the final version of the bill. For 10 years, various versions of this bill have been introduced, so we will have to wait and see. If the bill does not give us a specific role, the consequences of this new expenditure restraint program will clearly carry a lot of weight in terms of the risk elements that lead to audits, given our current resources.
James Malizia
View James Malizia Profile
James Malizia
2012-04-03 11:52
Yes, thank you, and my thanks to this committee for providing the RCMP with an opportunity to appear today.
With me is Superintendent Tony Pickett, the officer in charge of the RCMP's Technological Crime Branch.
I would like to begin by addressing the issue of threats to the member for Provencher.
Ministers of the crown are entitled to receive RCMP protection in Canada and abroad, as needed, by virtue of section 17 of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Regulations. If a minister or a member of Parliament feels their safety and security is in jeopardy, they should report it to the RCMP or the local police of jurisdiction.
Based on an evaluation of the information provided, the RCMP will assess the need for protective services and, if warranted, may initiate an investigation. We constantly review and monitor the security measures put in place for our protectees, and if needed, we will adjust our security package accordingly. Security packages are provided on a case-by-case basis, are intelligence led, and are commensurate with threat and risk assessments.
I'd like to begin by addressing the issue of threats to the member for Provencher.
Ministers of the crown are entitled to receive RCMP protection in Canada and abroad, as needed, by virtue of section 17 of the RCMP regulations. If a minister or a member of Parliament feels their safety and security is in jeopardy, they should report it to the RCMP or the local police of jurisdiction. Based on an evaluation of the information provided, the RCMP will assess the need for protective services and if warranted, may initiate an investigation.
We constantly review and monitor the security measures put in place for our protectees, and if needed we will adjust our security package accordingly. Security packages are provided on a case-by-case basis, are intelligence led, and are commensurate with threat and risk assessments.
We take all threats to ministers and members of Parliament very seriously, whether the threats are in the form of a threatening letter, in person, or through electronic or social media.
The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and has transformed our society. It continues to influence society at a pace and rate of growth that is on an exponential trajectory. These new and evolving technologies have brought about much positive advancement: instantaneous communications worldwide, the ability to share knowledge and to work collaboratively to more effectively conduct commerce, and the list goes on.
Nevertheless, these profound advances have their dark side and that is the use of technology for the purpose of cybercrime. The RCMP views cybercrime as any crime committed using a computer network and/or hardware device. The computer network or device could be the agent of the crime, the facilitator, or the target of the crime.
Advances in technology have created an environment where individuals achieve anonymity. Criminals exploit the faceless environment provided by the Internet to conceal their identity and conduct serious criminal activity.
Criminals are reinventing themselves online to facilitate criminal acts associated with fraud, facilitation of drug trafficking, sexual exploitation of children and money laundering, for example. At the same time, new cybercrimes have emerged, including hacking and theft of data where the computer, the network or data become the focus of the criminal activity.
As you know, the Internet and various forms of social media are being used as a means to promote social change, and for individuals and groups to express their freedom of expression. This can be positive when done in a lawful manner. Such campaigns can be compared to online versions of protests on Parliament Hill, petitions and peaceful protests.
Criminals are reinventing themselves online to facilitate criminal acts associated with fraud, facilitation of drug trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, and money laundering, for example. At the same time, new cybercrimes have emerged, including hacking and theft of data where the computer, the network, or data become the focus of the criminal activity.
As you know, the Internet and various forms of social media are being used as a means to promote social change, and for individuals and groups to express their freedom of expression. This can be positive when done in a lawful manner. Such campaigns can be compared to online versions of protests on Parliament Hill, petitions, and organizing peaceful protests.
The vast majority of those who use social media to reach out do so with positive intentions and within the law, however, there are others with very different objectives and methods of achieving their goals. Certain groups would have us believe that they are the sole agents of social change. Our current understanding of some of these cyber-groups is that they can be best described as a movement with undefined membership. They offer a forum for like-minded individuals or groups to express similar ideologies. Few of these individuals or groups represent themselves as criminal organizations. However, their tactics sometimes violate criminal laws in countries where they purport to operate.
Cybercrime is growing at an alarming rate around the globe. Investigating cyber-threats or cybercrime is an evolving and challenging domain. However, the RCMP remains committed to enforcing the laws, apprehending criminals and providing for a safe and secure Canada.
Cybercrime is growing at an alarming rate around the globe. Investigating cyber-threats or cybercrime is an evolving and challenging domain, however the RCMP remains committed to enforcing the laws, apprehending criminals, and providing for a safe and secure Canada.
Thank you.
View Christine Moore Profile
NDP (QC)
I have a question I'd like you to answer briefly. We heard about cybercrime. I'd like some clarification. We are told that National Defence is dealing with that. Does CSIS play a complementary role to that of the armed forces with regard to cybercrime? That would seem logical to me. I'd like to know whether they play such a role.
My question is addressed to the person who knows the answer or has some idea of what it might be.
David Skillicorn
View David Skillicorn Profile
David Skillicorn
2012-02-14 15:16
I don't know exactly how these relationships work. Some of them work informally, I know. I don't think there is very much formal connection. It's partly the problem that nobody quite knows who's responsible for anything in this area, so a lot of very scattered things are going on, not all of which make sense.
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