cse-annualreport-2025-2026-e 2
The unclassified 2025‑2026 Annual Report of the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) provides a comprehensive overview of the agency’s activities from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. It outlines CSE’s expanded mandate that integrates foreign signals intelligence (SIGINT), defensive and active cyber operations, technical and operational assistance, and cyber‑security guidance through the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre). The report highlights a period of heightened geopolitical competition, increased cyber‑threat complexity, and historic defence investments that enabled CSE to scale its workforce (4,178 staff, 8 % growth) and capabilities. Key operational achievements include: detection, disruption and deterrence of foreign threats; support to Arctic sovereignty and Indigenous engagement; joint intelligence‑cyber operations against ransomware, fentanyl‑related drug‑trafficking, and violent‑extremist groups; support to Canadian Armed Forces and major events (G7, 2026 Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup 2026); issuance of 25 alerts, 995 advisories, 97 000 NCTNS notifications, and 67 pre‑ransomware warnings; and extensive partnership activity with Five Eyes, domestic agencies, critical‑infrastructure owners, academia, and industry. The report also details governance – ministerial orders, authorisations, compliance incidents, external reviews, transparency initiatives, and a strong emphasis on diversity, inclusion, employee wellness, and ethical standards. Additional sections describe internal cultural initiatives: culturally responsive mental‑health services for Black employees, a robust early‑talent pipeline hiring over 235 students annually, the “Mission to Move” wellness challenge, the 2026‑2028 Accessibility Plan with AI‑powered captioning and secure medical devices, expanded affinity groups (including Indigenous, neurodiversity, and cultural circles), the Five Eyes Indigenous Summit, the Young Professionals Network’s activities and awards, and a strategic push toward responsible AI adoption via a Responsible AI Toolkit and AI learning program. The report concludes with a forward‑looking vision of CSE as Canada’s digital frontline of defence, emphasizing integrated intelligence, research, whole‑of‑society resilience, and continued transformation.
Topics
Integrated Digital Frontline: Mandate Fusion of SIGINT, Cyber Operations, and Cyber Security
Explains how CSE’s expanded mandate unifies foreign signals intelligence, defensive and active cyber operations, and the advisory role of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security into a single, coordinated digital defence posture for Canada.
Key Operational Achievements: Threat Disruption, Arctic Sovereignty, and Support to Major Events
Highlights the agency’s 2025‑2026 operational successes, including joint SIGINT‑cyber actions that disrupted ransomware‑as‑a‑service groups, fentanyl‑related drug trafficking, and violent‑extremist networks; intelligence support for Arctic sovereignty and Indigenous engagement; and cyber‑security deployments for the Canadian Armed Forces and high‑profile events such as the G7 summit, the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Cyber Centre Incident Response & Threat Notification Scale‑up
Provides metrics on the Cyber Centre’s expanded incident‑response capacity: over 3,200 cyber incidents handled, 25 alerts, 995 advisories, 97 000 NCTNS notifications, and 67 pre‑ransomware warnings issued through the 24/7 Cyber Operations and Protection Centre (COPCC).
Workforce Growth, Diversity, Inclusion, and Early‑Talent Pipeline
Summarises staff expansion to 4,178 personnel (8 % growth), representation across gender, disability, racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, recruitment of over 235 students annually with a two‑thirds conversion rate, and initiatives that embed diversity and inclusion into CSE’s hiring and development practices.
Governance, Legal Authorisations, and Compliance Framework
Outlines the legal and oversight structure governing CSE: six ministerial orders, nine authorisations approved by the Intelligence Commissioner, compliance incident reporting, and internal mechanisms that ensure operations align with statutory mandates.
External Oversight, Audits, Transparency, and Public Engagement
Details external reviews (26), audit activities, Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests, media engagements, and public‑facing campaigns such as Get Cyber Safe and disinformation awareness, demonstrating CSE’s commitment to accountability and openness.
Research, Innovation, AI & Quantum Roadmaps
Highlights CSE’s scientific output, including BOREALIS and TIMC publications, AI/ML research, a post‑quantum cryptography roadmap, and open‑source tools like Clue and Assemblyline that advance Canada’s cyber‑defence capabilities.
International Partnerships and Intelligence Sharing (Five Eyes, NATO, Pacific)
Explains CSE’s collaborative work with Five Eyes allies, NATO partners, G7 nations, and Pacific cyber networks, covering joint operations, intelligence sharing, capacity‑building, and coordinated responses to trans‑national cyber threats.