Types of Security Incidents

There are various types of security incidents that can occur making it difficult to determine if it should be reported or not. And some things may be more of a facilities or a health and safety issue.

If you are unsure if you should report something, speak to your Manager or Regional Security Office.

Here is a breakdown of the various types of incidents:

•  People

  Incident Type	Description	Examples
  Bomb threat	Threat to plant a bomb, to blow-up, or use any form of explosive device. A threat can be explicit or veiled, specific or non-specific.	Veiled: Words that imply that an explosive may be used (e.g. looking forward to the fireworks when I'm done with you guys) Explicit: I will blow you/this place up Specific: I will go to the processing centre located at xxx and blow it up Non-specific: I will blow you guys up
  Harassment/bullying	These include harassment, bullying, physical assault, threatening or suspicious behaviour and verbal abuse.	Client threatens employee with complaint or repercussions to intimidate the employee and get him/her to comply; Repeated pattern of rudeness that singles out an individual.
  Physical assault	Hitting, shoving, pushing or kicking someone.	Client strikes employee Employee physical restrains colleague from walking away from a discussion/argument/room Visitor spits at passport agent
  Self-harm or suicide threat	The threat, specific or implied, to harm oneself or end one's life.	Client expresses despair at claim decision and makes a comment about jumping off a bridge.
  Terrorism threat	An ideologically motivated threat of violence or destruction with the intent to spread fear of further violence and intimidate the public.	Employee threatens colleagues with physical harm and claims to be a member of a terror organization. Email received threatening to destroy parliament
  Threatening behaviour	Shaking fists, destroying property or throwing objects.	Team Leader kicks a table and screams at employees during a meeting. Client throws keyboard from CAWs station across the room.
  Threats of violence	Any expression of an intent to inflict harm.	Caller threatens to physical harm Prime minister Visitor threatens to come back with a gun and shoot everyone.
  Verbal abuse	Swearing, insults or condescending language.	A colleague swears and insults another colleague A passport agent uses condescending language towards a client. A client uses profanity and racial slurs directed at an investigator.

•  Assets

  Incident Type	Description	Examples
  Loss of public good or asset	Any incident involving the loss or theft of a departmental device, or asset, even if the device is or can be recovered.	Departmental mobile device lost while moving
  Loss or theft of employee ID or access card	The loss or theft of an ID card is reported as a security incident.
  Theft of assets	Incidents that involve personal information: Any incident involving the theft of a departmental device, or asset, even if the device is or can be recovered. This includes thefts outside of work.	Departmental laptop stolen in employee car while in transit.
  Theft of personal items	Personal items, or non-departmental property stolen while at work. Includes Social committee items. (Note: the department is not responsible for personal property, but petty crime in the workplace, or theft by an employee or contractor on the departments premise is a general security issue).	Wallet taken from desk during meeting; Petty cash from kitchen kitty stolen.
  Break and Enter	May include physical damage to property, theft, etc. and should be reported to the police.	Passport office door broken during week-end and computers and passport applications with supporting document stolen.
  Demonstration	A protest, organized or not. The protest may not be directed at staff or the department. If the demonstration or protest takes place in a co-located office, or hinders access to an office, clients may be at risk.	Fishers protesting changes to Employment Insurance in front of SCC. Protest against hike in provincial auto-insurance blocking access to the main entrance of a mall where the passport office is located.
  Suspicious activity	Any activity that raises suspicion on or around the department's premises.	Drone flying around SCC; Belligerent group of individuals loitering near main door; etc.
  Suspicious package	A package, or object, that may be unattended, or hidden, or in a place it does not belong and may appear out of place.	Backpack left in a corner of waiting area Parcel in a planter
  Unauthorized access	Access to a restricted area by a person who is not authorized to be in that area.	Client in processing area of Service Canada Centre.
  Unauthorized photography	Filming or recording of staff, clients, buildings, that is not authorized. Includes drones equip with filming equipment.	Citizen is taking pictures of SCC employees and other clients in waiting area of Service Canada Centre.
  Vandalism	The deliberate and planned destruction or defacement of property. Vandalism is a criminal offense. It is an intentional, and not accidental, action towards property. Should be reported to police.	Slogan or gang symbol spray painted on a window; a brick thrown through a window; Not vandalism: a person who kicks a door and breaks something in a huff; a frustrated client who breaks a door by accident.  These incidents can logged as threatening behaviour, if the damage was caused by a gesture

•  Information

  Incident Type	Description	Examples
  Loss of sensitive or classified information (Protected C, secret, top secret, or Protected B other than personal information)	Sensitive or classified information that has been lost, misdirected, destroyed, etc. Information assets are not limited to client personal information. Information on the department’s plan, finances, procedures or processes, etc.	Copy of a Treasury Board submission taken from a desk Memoranda to cabinet filed in wrong place Secret documents saved on a local drive. Internal investigation procedures sent to a former colleague in another department.
  Loss of information	Information that is lost or destroyed and cannot be recovered. Includes loss of personal information of internal and external clients, e.g. fax sent to the wrong number, emailed information.	Email with client personal information sent to wrong recipient; Client files/supporting documentation shredded in error. Competition result sent to multiple recipients, with list of recipients visible to all
  Misdirected information	Information that was sent to the wrong person and can be recovered, e.g. mail sent to the wrong address or undelivered, information captured in the wrong file.	Passport delivered to the wrong address Benefit letter of a client included in a correspondence for another client.
  Unauthorized disclosure	Information disclosed without consent or authorization to another party.	Verbal disclosure of personal information after failed authentication; Information released to another department without an Information Sharing Agreement
  Citizen targeted	Suspected attempt to defraud a citizen from an entitlement. Citizens must report these incidents to the [fraud centre]. ESDC security is not responsible for events outside of the department.	Letter using ESDC or Service Canada letter head; Phone call from individual pretending to be with Service Canada.
  Employee targeted	Suspected attempt to defraud the department by targeting an employee on the inside.	Call to employee asking for information that belongs to the department.