RCMP review prompted by employee's arrest urges changes to bolster internal security
A confidential RCMP review, conducted after the arrest of a senior employee for allegedly leaking classified information, calls for a fundamental shift in the security culture of the national police force to be led at the highest levels.
The newly disclosed report makes 43 recommendations, including training updates, stricter adherence to federal security screening standards and the possible introduction of random physical searches.
The review "confirms gaps in the security practices of the RCMP that could be closed or at least narrowed," says a message in the report from the joint chairs of the exercise.
"The security posture of the RCMP can and should be improved to reduce the risks to the RCMP and to protect public safety," it reads.
The review, led by a retired RCMP superintendent, followed the September 2019 arrest of Cameron Jay Ortis, who was then director general of the force's National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre.
Ortis is accused of violating the Security of Information Act by allegedly revealing secrets to an unnamed recipient, as well as breach of trust and a computer-related offence. A trial is slated for next year.
The review, ordered by RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, looked at organizational factors and security issues related to personnel, physical settings and information technology, as well as the "insider threat" from within the force.
The resulting report, completed in June 2020, was disclosed only recently to The Canadian Press in response to an Access to Information request filed 19 months ago.
Several portions of the 78-page document were considered too sensitive to release.
The report says a management plan was being drafted to map out how the force could make changes. In response to questions about progress on specific measures, the RCMP indicated the effort is still underway.
"The RCMP is committed to addressing the recommendations resulting from the review which provides the organization with an opportunity to modernize our security practices and posture," said Mountie spokeswoman Robin Percival.
"We continue to examine and adapt our security posture to protect the RCMP's information, assets, and people given the ever evolving landscape facing a national police force."
The review team drew on the knowledge of experts across the RCMP and examined past audits, evaluations and security-incident files.
It also looked at information from the investigation of Ortis, known as Project Ace, on a "need-to-know basis," the report says.
This information was supplemented through 53 employee interviews that allowed the team to "study the breaches Ortis is suspected of perpetrating, which, in turn, informed efforts to identify vulnerabilities."
However, some individuals could not be interviewed in order to preserve the integrity of the criminal investigation.
Among the report's key findings:
-- security awareness training was not mandatory at the RCMP, and the training that did exist was out of date;
-- a pervasive attitude that security restrictions were something that needed to be worked around to get the job done;
-- although the RCMP processed requests for security clearance updates and upgrades, limited resources were directed toward scrutinizing new hires, meaning delays and backlogs concerning updates for current employees;
-- a lack of standards on management of information technology assets, including portable storage devices;
-- approval for access to computer systems, such as the Canadian Top Secret Network, was being granted even when an employee's duties did not require access;
-- a sense that employees were reluctant to report security incidents because they were afraid of the consequences to themselves or to colleagues; and
-- organization-level factors, including poor management practices, inefficient communication between different areas of the RCMP, and a persistent belief that existing security controls were sufficient, contributed to "the creation of opportunities for exploitation."
The report stresses that the allegations against Ortis have not been proven in court. But the review team concluded he was able to gain and hold the trust of a number of senior leaders.
"The level of trust and confidence Ortis garnered appears to have resulted in the common Insider Threat warning signs that surfaced well in advance of Ortis' arrest being missed."
The report says the purported breach by Ortis could prompt valued partners to deny the RCMP access to sensitive material crucial to fighting crime, protecting public safety and preserving national security.
"The effort and cost to re-establish lost access and capabilities can be considerable," the report says.
As such, it was important to undertake a critical internal examination of not only broad security issues, but the environment inside the RCMP that "was a critical factor in how the events unfolded."
The report recommended numerous changes, including steps to:
-- strengthen the role and influence of the RCMP's chief security officer;
-- implement the Treasury Board standard on security screening to the greatest extent possible;
-- develop specific mandatory training solutions to address insider threats and increase knowledge and awareness of security responsibilities;
-- have the Department of Justice provide guidance on how to conduct random physical security checks;
-- consolidate the number of high-security zones with classified networks and printing locations to a strict minimum;
-- conduct an analysis of positions requiring access to the Canadian Top Secret Network;
-- integrate physical security controls into future buildings from the outset;
-- create a new policy centre for insider threats within the departmental security branch;
-- develop a program to provide continuous assurance of an individual's reliability when warranted;
-- implement an online means to submit an anonymous security incident report; and
-- update security clearance forms to include vulnerabilities and pressures that RCMP employees may be experiencing.
"The vast majority of employees of the RCMP are dedicated and loyal but, as Ortis' alleged actions demonstrate, we can no longer trust without regularly verifying," says the message from the review's joint chairs.
The report reveals the criminal and administrative investigations and various internal processes triggered by the Ortis case "have resulted in millions of dollars in additional costs" for a force struggling to meet the core policing elements of its mandate.
It concludes that implementing the recommendations must be done "in conjunction with a clear shift in the security culture of the RCMP led by the highest echelon of the organization."
But the report cautions it is impossible to remove all security risks.
"Even where the RCMP has made prudent risk decisions, puts the right security controls in place, and enables a robust, risk-aware security culture, it cannot completely guard itself from employees making individual decisions to use their knowledge, privilege, and access rights to circumvent these controls and harm the organization and Canadians."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2022.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
Recall issued for 38,000 GM vehicles in Canada over software safety glitch
Transport Canada has issued a recall for 38,000 General Motors (GM) vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, the agency reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Israeli military says around 10 senior Hezbollah commanders killed along with Aqil
About 10 senior Hezbollah commanders were killed along with Ibrahim Aqil, leader of the movement's Radwan special forces unit who was attacked in an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Friday, Israel's military spokesperson said.
11-year-old boy dies after subway surfing in NYC
An 11-year-old boy died Monday after subway surfing in New York City. He's the fourth person to die from subway surfing in the city this year.
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Secret Service report details communication failures preceding July assassination attempt on Trump
Communication breakdowns with local law enforcement hampered the Secret Service's performance ahead of a July assassination attempt on former U.S. president Donald Trump, according to a new report that lays out a litany of missed opportunities to stop a gunman who opened fire from an unsecured roof.
Canadians say they fear they've been scammed out of thousands of dollars by car moving company
An Ontario man says he’s still waiting for a vehicle he purchased on Kijiji to be delivered to his home. But after more than a month, he says he’s losing hope that the car will arrive and believes that he is a victim of a scam.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
DEVELOPING Here's what we know about Israel's latest strike in Beirut
Israel’s military has struck the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, in a dramatic escalation in a year-long period of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.
Local Spotlight
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.
David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.
Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.