The Communications Security Establishment (CSE), is facing a “major staffing crisis,” a former CSE spy told Radio-Canada/CBC.
The CSE intercepts and interprets communications of foreign sources that seek to harm Canada. It is also accountable for shielding the federal government’s computer system and directing critical infrastructure machinists, such as banks and hospitals, on how to guard themselves against cyberattacks.
In an interview, the CSE’s chief, Caroline Xavier, did not refute that there is a calamity, but informed the deficiency of cybersecurity experts is a global dilemma.
Recent exposures concerning India and China have given Canadians a hint of the threats facing this country.
The Indian government is alleged of having ordered the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil, whereas the Chinese government is suspected of having led pressure and deception campaigns to try to manipulate the results of the last federal elections.
It’s the loss inside the CSE of extremely skilled technical experts capable of infiltrating enemy grids, decoding intelligence and uneasy threats to Canada that is raising concerns.
Radio-Canada/CBC questioned half a dozen past employees who have left the agency in recent years. We have decided to withhold their identities due to the condition of their work.
While numerous former employees agree that the agency still has high-end talent, “We can’t say there isn’t a situation,” said one of them.
“I observed a lot of my colleagues leave before I departed and I saw a lot of them leave after me,” said another former agent.
“I mean, no one is really exceptional, but it felt like some of the individuals were really unique. I assume that’s a problem.”
The CSE rest on computer and cryptography specialists to collect and analyze foreign indications intelligence such as telephone calls and computer communications, as well as indications from satellites, radars and other wave-emitting technologies.
When technical experts leave the CSE, they often take with them exclusive expertise in detecting a collection of threats, according to a former spy.
“They’ll concentrate in one precise type of technical attack to get the info. When we lose them, we’re losing people that are very vital to the category of operational program that collect intelligence on all the diverse targets — counterterrorism, specific countries, election interfering — because we utilize that procedure to get intelligence on all those subjects,” he said.
The withdrawal of these experts also troubles Canada’s capability to protect itself against certain cyberattacks, according to the former spy.
“Foreign intelligence severely feeds into our cyber defense program. If you’re behind that intelligence, that also indicate you’re losing perceptibility into what these cyberthreat actors are doing,” he clarified.
“Of course, it always hurts, every time we drop an expert, we will confess it,” said Xavier. “We work hard to safeguard that there is not just one professional in one field. That’s why we work as a team.”
The CSE’s chief claims she still has the essential means to achieve her mission.
“I have a number of employees who work on government significances, which include foreign intrusion,” she said.
Xavier said she can also depend on the “Five Eyes,” an intelligence exchange network made up of Great Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Overall, the CSE staff has sustained to increase in recent years. It went from 2,900 full-time employees in March 2020 to 3,232 employees in March 2023, which specifies a good retention rate, according to the CSE.
But these numbers are deceptive, according to ex-spies.
With the pandemic, it rapidly became probable for a cybersecurity specialist to work for a foreign company without parting the comfort of home, while making more money.
Career progression, the aptitude to work from home and higher salaries in the private sector were among the motives for leaving specified by the ex-spies who spoke with Radio-Canada/CBC.
Apart from for executive positions, the CSE has its own reimbursement system, distinct from the Public Service of Canada, that allows for advanced pay.
However, the salary gauge for technical positions initiates from around $63,000 and tops out at a little over $168,000.
“You can effortlessly double or triple your salary in the private sector, particularly with the Magnificent Seven,” said a former agent, denoting to the nickname given to seven American conglomerates — Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet (Google) — for their performance on the stock market.
The absence of job security or pension plan should not be ignored, they say. In addition, deadlines are frequently non-negotiable, leading to extended hours and a much more problematic work-life balance.
