Work Plan – Reviews Under Way and Planned

Commissioners use a risk-based and preventative approach to reviews. A three-year work plan is updated twice a year. Developing the work plan draws on many sources. An important one consists of regular briefings from CSEC on new activities and changes to existing activities. Another is the classified annual report to the Minister of National Defence from the Chief of CSEC on CSEC's priorities and its legal, policy and management issues of significance.

The results of several reviews currently under way are expected to be reported to the Minister of National Defence in the coming year and included in my 2014—2015 annual report. The subjects of these reviews include: another focused review on metadata; a review of particular foreign signals intelligence activities conducted under ministerial authorizations; a review of CSEC IT security activities conducted under ministerial authorizations in support of Government of Canada efforts to address cyber threats; a follow-up review of certain CSEC activities with the Canadian Armed Forces; and a review of CSEC assistance to CSIS under part (c) of CSEC's mandate and sections 16 and 21 of the CSIS Act.

Some of the reviews planned for 2014—2015, which may carry over to the next year, are: a review of particular foreign signals intelligence activities conducted under ministerial authorizations; and foreign signals intelligence and IT security activities conducted using exceptional procedures.

In addition, I plan to continue the annual reviews of: (1) foreign signals intelligence ministerial authorizations; (2) CSEC disclosures of Canadian identity information; and (3) privacy incidents and procedural errors identified by CSEC and the measures subsequently taken by CSEC to address them.