Vanguard Radio reports on the military ombudsman’s call for an end to the delay of benefits for medically discharging CAF members. And, the head of Canada’s Communication Security Establishment sounds the alarm on a ticking time bomb called quantum computing.
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Last month Gen Jonathan Vance provided the public an update on Operation Honour, the CAF’s military campaign against sexual misconduct in the military.
At that time, the CDS said the campaign was off to a good start but also warned that there was lots of work ahead.
Last week, those tasked with carrying out Operation Honour received much-needed help with the launch of The Sexual Offence Response Team.
The new 18-member team will help identify, investigate and help prosecute CAF and DND members responsible for criminal sexual offences.
The Sexual Offence Response Team are dispersed in three-member teams at the six Canadian Forces National Investigation Service’s regional offices located in Victoria, Edmonton, Borden, Ottawa, Valcartier, and Halifax.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is a unit within the independent Canadian Forces Military Police Group.
Frontline Military Police remains a key part of the investigative process as they are often the first point of contact for complainants in reporting any offence.
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Several weeks ago, Vanguard covered the release of a report from the military ombudsman’s detailing the procedural red tape that delays the benefits and medical services that many medically discharged CAF members need.
The report by Gary Walbourne, the DND, and CAF ombudsman was written back in May but only made public in September.
In it, he said the voluminous documents and requirements and administrative procedures that ill and injured CAF members need to navigate through illustrating that the current system is broken.
Last week, the Ombudsman produced another report.
Plainly titled Simplifying the service delivery model for medically releasing members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the document provides a more detailed account of the changes that Walbourne’s office is recommending.
Once more, the Ombudsman also decried the complex procedures which CAF members and their families had to deal with.
For example, medically discharging CAF members had to discuss their cases and produce documentation for three distinct offices – the CAF Veterans Affairs and the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP).
This meant they had to deal with three separate case managers, file 21 separate applications, and navigate three different processes with different timelines.
Among the recommendation of the Ombudsman were:
- The retention of ill or injured CAF members until all benefits and services from CAF, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)and Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) are put in place.
- The establishment of a transition concierge service to act as a single point of contact for members and their families. (The UK and U.S. provide this service).
- The development of a secure web portal (already done by VAC, but not DND and SISIP) a single point of entry for all matters related to the transition from CAF to civilian life.
“Far too many members are medically released from the military before they learn what medical or financial support, if any, they will receive,” said Walbourne.
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Quantum computing is a much vaunted revolutionary way of computing which promises to help organizations solve complex problems more than a thousand times faster that they could with the fastest computers available today.
Researchers, technology experts and leaders of various sectors believe quantum computing will help accelerate innovation, cut down the cost of production and more.
However, quantum computing could also usher in a new age of cyber insecurity where even the strongest data and network protection tools and techniques could be easily bypassed by hackers.
Greta Bossenmaier, head of the Canada’s Communication Security Establishment, warned that within a mere 10 years or by 2026 quantum computing will have the ability to break down even the toughest encryption method we use today.
This has a tremendous impact on how governments, militaries, and businesses protect their networks since much of the world’s industries, businesses and utilities are tied to power grids and connected to the Internet.
The CSE fears that an attack on one system could create a cascading effect that would topple other systems connected to the initial target.
The CSE and other similar agencies around the world are now working to develop a new encryption standard before Y2Q – or year to quantum arrives.
“The clock has started to tick. So, unless we collectively get ahead of the quantum challenge and rethink encryption, the systems, and information of companies, governments, of organizations, of citizens – potentially every Canadian citizen – could be vulnerable,” she said.
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That’s it for this week’s Vanguard Radio.
Thank you very much again for tuning into our show.
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Until then, this is your host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week On Vanguard Radio.
