What Happened
Reviewing Costs, Capacity, And Risks In Defence Cybersecurity
The US Department of Defense has suspended the second phase of its cybersecurity certification program for defence suppliers, prompting Canada to review its own program. Canada’s cybersecurity certification program, modelled on the US model, aims to protect sensitive defence information and preserve access to the American defence supply chain. However, the program faces challenges in design, cost, and capacity, which may lead to unintended consequences, such as excluding small, innovative firms. The Canadian government should consider pausing mandatory third-party certification and reassessing its approach to achieve its cybersecurity objectives, as reported by Policy Options.