Paper: Canada's energy system needs better protection plan

[The Bread Guy]

Abstract of attached paper:

Various government Ministers have affirmed the importance government attaches to the
protection of critical energy infrastructure. Nine years after the attacks on 11 September 2001
first focused attention on the potential vulnerability of infrastructure and the economic, social and
political consequences of a failure of assurance, a strategy has still not been approved and the
assets requiring protection not yet identified. While due respect must be given to the jurisdictional
authorities which have been established by the Constitution, international terrorism and newly
emerging global threats such as electronic attacks on IT and communication systems have only
increased the urgency for Canada to have in place a proactive, seamless system for the protection
of those energy assets and services which are so vital to Canada’s well-being and prosperity, and
North American security. The effectiveness of the draft Strategy and Action Plan proposed by
Public Safety Canada will depend upon the voluntary participation of the various public and
private sector stakeholders and the extent to which a culture of information sharing and
collaboration can be inculcated. Arguably, this is a passive and reactive Plan which gives
insufficient attention to deterring and preventing malicious attacks on infrastructure.

 

[Chilme]

Spend one day in our modern homes with the power out and you will understand how dependent our moderns homes are, and how necessary it is to protect the sources.

 

[The Bread Guy]

.... is Postmedia News - highlight mine:

Nearly a decade after the 9/11 attacks, Canada still hasn't developed a reliable strategy for protecting such critical energy infrastructure as refineries, power plants and offshore petroleum platforms, according to a new study commissioned by the Defence Department.

Inaction by the federal government has left key energy assets vulnerable to a range of threats, from terrorism and natural disasters to the emerging danger of a cyberattack, says the study quietly released last month but now reported for the first time by Postmedia News.

An attack that disrupts or damages energy infrastructure would not only have major social and economic impacts, but could also stoke "cross-border tensions" with the United States, which looks to Canada as a dependable supplier within increasingly integrated North American energy markets.

"The protection and resilience of critical infrastructure have often been described as major priorities for the government, yet the reality appears rather different from the rhetoric," writes Angela Gendron, a senior fellow at the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa. Her study was commissioned by Defence R&D Canada, the research arm of the Department of National Defence ....

Well, maybe the SECOND time - remember, you read it here at Army.ca first