Security of Information Act

Further information: Security clearances in Canada

Further information: Information classification in Canada

In Canada, the Security of Information Act is part of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36) which received Royal Assent on December 18, 2001 and came into effect on December 24, 2001. This Act renamed and replaced Official Secrets Act 1981. The Act was amended to address national security concerns, including threats of espionage by foreign powers and terrorist groups, and the intimidation or coercion of ethnocultural communities in Canada.

Various actions are prohibited under the Act, including, but not necessarily limited to:

• Forgery
• Economic Espionage
• Impersonation
• Leakage of special operational information
• Leakage of information that the Government of Canada or of a province is taking measures to safeguard
• Communications with Foreign Entities or Terrorist Groups
• Preparatory Acts
• Foreign-influenced (Or Terrorist-influenced) Threats and Violence
• Harbouring and Concealing
• Conspiracy, Coup d'état, and Attempts etc.

Certain departments ('Scheduled department') and classes of people (past and current employees) are 'permanently bound to secrecy' under the Act. These are individuals who should be held to a higher level of accountability for unauthorized disclosures of information obtained in relation to their work. For example, Military Intelligence, employees of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Communications Security Establishment and certain members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

This act applies to anyone who has been granted security clearance by the Federal Government, including those who have been granted Enhanced Reliability Status for accessing designated information. Previously, only 'classified' information was protected under the Official Secrets Act 1981.

References

• "Security of Information Act". Criminal Code of Canada. Queen's Printer for Canada. 2006-09-15. http://lois.justice.gc.ca/en/O-5/index.html. Retrieved 2006-11-12. 

See also

• Information security

External links

• Canada's Security of Information Act
• CSIS Backgrounder No. 12
• Operational Standard for the Security of Information Act