CSIS Pledges Tech Review After Scathing Report
Canada's spy agency, CSIS, has pledged to enhance its use of new technologies following a scathing report from the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. The agency has committed to drafting standard operating procedures and reviewing its practices to ensure compliance with the law.
CSIS acknowledged that it had previously lacked adequate policies and procedures for managing a confidential technical means of collecting information. The agency has now recognized the need to develop robust mechanisms for the review of technology and data management.
CSIS is taking steps to rectify these issues. It is drafting standard operating procedures for the technology in question, which it plans to finalize in the coming months. The agency is also developing a policy to ensure all novel technologies are referred to a committee for review and assessment. This comes after the review agency found that CSIS had mischaracterized a novel technology as an extension of existing know-how and used it before satisfying all regulatory requirements.
In an effort to improve its practices, CSIS has agreed that the agency could have been consulted earlier about the technology. The agency is now taking an inclusive approach to determining whether a particular technology or technique merits ministerial notification, consulting officials from Public Safety Canada in most instances.
CSIS's commitment to reviewing and improving its use of new technologies is a positive step towards ensuring compliance with the law. The agency is taking concrete actions, such as drafting standard operating procedures and developing policies for technology review, to address the shortcomings highlighted in the report. By working collaboratively with other agencies like Public Safety Canada, CSIS aims to strengthen its practices and maintain the trust of Canadians.
