Appointing a company security officer

During the Contract Security Program registration process, your organization will need to appoint a company security officer. In some cases, you will be required to appoint one or more alternate company security officers.

Who to appoint

All organizations that register in the Contract Security Program will appoint one company security officer.

Depending upon the size of your organization and the nature of the contract, you may need to appoint at least one alternate company security officer.

For organizations with document safeguarding capability, you will require a minimum of two security officers at each of your secure work sites.

A company security officer must be:

• an employee of your organization
• physically located in Canada
• a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• security screened at the same level as your organization
  • To obtain a personnel screening:
    • complete the personnel screening forms
    • sign them both as the security officer and as the applicant
    • submit the forms with copies of two pieces of photo identification (showing front and back) from the following list:
      • valid passport
      • birth certificate
      • baptismal certificate
      • citizenship certificate or immigrant visa and record of landing document
      • Canadian work permit or visa
      • valid driver’s license issued in Canada with a laminated photograph

A company security officer should also be:

• a person of trust
• knowledgeable about all activities of the organization related to federal government contracts
• directly accessible to senior members of the organization
• able to influence an organization’s internal policies and procedures

How to appoint an alternate company security officer

The alternate company security officer shares the responsibilities of the company security officer and replaces them as required.

The company security officer is responsible to appoint the alternate by completing each of the following:

• requesting required level of clearance for the alternate
  • in most cases the alternate will require the same level of clearance as the company security officer, and in some they will only require a reliability status
• submitting an appointment form:
  • Alternate company security officer security appointment and acknowledgement and undertaking
• briefing and training the alternate

Appointment forms

To appoint a company security officer, complete:

• Corporate company security officer/Company security officer security appointment and acknowledgement and undertaking form
  • the form is used by the organization president or key senior official to appoint a company security officer, and by the company security officer to acknowledge and agree to the position and its responsibilities

To appoint an alternate company security officer, complete:

• Alternate company security officer security appointment and acknowledgement and undertaking

For more information

• Consult section 103. Appointment of the company security officer and alternates of the Industrial Security Manual
• Learn the roles and responsibilities of a company security officer
• Learn about contract security training for company security officers