The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has announced updates to its procurement practices following an internal review of its dealings with a company linked to China. The review found no significant security concerns but identified areas for improvement.
In December, the RCMP suspended a standing offer with Sinclair Technologies, a company providing radio-frequency filtration equipment, which had garnered media attention due to national security implications. Sinclair’s parent company, Norsat International, has been owned by the Chinese telecommunications firm Hytera since 2017, with the Chinese government holding a 10% stake in Hytera through an investment fund.
Technical experts determined that the equipment from Sinclair posed low risk and did not compromise secure communications. The internal review confirmed that the RCMP had followed applicable policies and procedures for establishing the standing offer through the Procurement Department. However, it also identified “opportunities for improvement.”
In response, the RCMP has heightened scrutiny on contracts to ensure adequate controls are in place. The review revealed that radio-frequency filtration equipment cannot access RCMP radio communications and does not raise security concerns.
The RCMP’s Departmental Security Branch consulted Canada’s cyberspy agency, the Communications Security Establishment, which confirmed that the filtering devices would not compromise encrypted Mountie communications.
Despite the findings, the review suggested that improved guidance and possibly additional controls would be beneficial to ensure that security requirements specific to the RCMP are included in contracting documents. The review noted that existing forms used for security clearances may not fully capture the RCMP’s security processes and may be outdated.
While clearances were granted to Sinclair contractors for work on RCMP premises, the standing offer did not include a requirement for RCMP screening, potentially increasing the risk that intended security controls would not be applied. The review recommended including all security requirements in contractual documents.
Furthermore, the report highlighted that government procurement and security policies and processes involve various departments beyond the RCMP, necessitating broader government engagement to modernize legislation, policies, and tools for future procurements with national security implications.
The RCMP intends to collaborate with other government departments to enhance security in procurement and plans to develop and implement additional controls and guidance as needed to address gaps in existing forms.
Commissioner Mike Duheme has approved the review report and management plan. The current status of the standing offer with Sinclair remains uncertain as of now.