Cyber-Defences To Be Bolstered

"We live in an information age where threats are not just physical," the government said in explaining the new policy. "Attacks can be launched from and against the Internet and the systems connected to it."

Up to $85 million has been set aside within the Defence Department to improve assessments of threats and vulnerabilities to computer networks, increase the ability to respond promptly and develop the early-warning system.

In releasing the security policy, the government outlined how it plans to spend a total of $690 million, most of which was allotted in the recent federal budget.

The policy also establishes three new bodies: a federal-provincial forum on emergencies, a national security advisory council and a cross-cultural roundtable aimed at engaging Canada's various ethnic and religious communities on security matters.

© The Canadian Press 2004

Note: Canadian Press