CSE’s research activities are guided by the CSE Research Strategy, R-Future. This strategy lays out four main thrusts (focus areas) for research at CSE. Each thrust contains associated goals and proposed measures to achieve the intended outcomes. The strategy also identifies future technologies and fields of research that may impact CSE’s mission in the longer term.
While the full version of the strategy is largely classified, some elements are unclassified and are outlined below to reflect the work the Research Directorate will be doing in this space.
Research thrust 1: Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of analysis
Intended outcomes
- CSE will enable analysts to harness data science methods and tools to manage and make inferences from high volumes of data.
- CSE will assess all data in its holdings with respect to analysts' goals.
- CSE will adopt a more proactive intelligence posture.
Proposed measures
- The Research Directorate will achieve a machine-interpretable representation of analytic goals.
- The Research Directorate will develop and utilize data science algorithms and techniques aligned with analytical needs.
- Our research projects will contribute to outcome-focused capability development.
- The Research Directorate will provide support to integrate data science into analytic functions.
- The Research Directorate will foster a common language and core understanding of data science across the organization.
Research thrust 2: Extend leading edge knowledge in secure communications and secure computing
Intended outcomes
- CSE will explore confidential computing solutions to enhance its ability to fulfill all aspects of its mandate.
- CSE will ensure that cryptographic primitives used to protect Government of Canada communications continue to be effective in light of anticipated quantum computing advancements.
Proposed measures
- The Research Directorate will study homomorphic encryption as a possible enabler of secure computing and evaluate how it can enable new operational use cases.
- The Research Directorate will continue to assess the maturity and applicability of alternative secure key management schemes such as Quantum Key Distribution.
Research thrust 3: Expand and optimize CSE capabilities in offensive and defensive contexts
Intended outcomes
- CSE will augment our ability to discover software vulnerabilities.
- CSE will enhance the security and resiliency of information systems used in the Government of Canada, Canadian critical infrastructure, or by Canadians.
Proposed measures
- The Research Directorate will increase our investment in software vulnerability research.
- The Research Directorate will build a more robust vulnerability research ecosystem.
- The Research Directorate will investigate and experiment with new methods and techniques to assist the vulnerability research process.
Research thrust 4: Advance our understanding of influence and effects campaigns
Intended outcomes
- CSE will develop a capability to detect foreign-actor-Ied influence and effects campaigns against Canadian interests.
Proposed measures
- The Research Directorate will build credibility through research publications in influence and effects detection.
- The Research Directorate will emphasize interpretability in the development of machine learning algorithms.
