CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.01.03Access control

CPCSC Level 2 03.01.03: Information Flow Enforcement

Apply information flow enforcement to control who can access in-scope systems, how information flows, and which access paths are allowed for CPCSC Level 2 readiness. This guide separates the official ITSP.10.171 control language from practical implementation, evidence, auditor questions, and related controls.

Open Level 2 Guide Browse Level 2 Controls

Formal Control Language

Official ITSP.10.171 wording for 03.01.03. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Enforce approved authorizations for controlling the flow of specified information within the system and between connected systems.

Contains information sourced from Government of Canada material used under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

What This Means In Plain English

Information Flow Enforcement is part of the CPCSC Level 2 Access control family. This is about making access decisions enforceable. The organization needs to know who can reach specified information, which systems can exchange it, and which access paths are approved.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether information flow enforcement is visible in real operating evidence: a setting, workflow, ticket, log, approval, review, or exception record that can survive an external assessment.

Level 2 is different from Level 1 because the evidence has to survive an external assessment. A policy statement helps, but the stronger answer is a record that shows who did the work, when it ran, what system setting or workflow enforced it, and how exceptions were handled.

How To Implement It

1

Define the in-scope systems, owners, users, vendors, and data flows affected by information flow enforcement.

2

Use identity groups, network rules, conditional access, remote-access approvals, data-flow boundaries, and exception records to make the access rule real in systems.

3

Translate the formal requirement into one or two operating procedures: who performs it, how often, where it is recorded, and who approves exceptions.

4

Configure the relevant systems so the control is enforced by identity, endpoint, cloud, network, ticketing, monitoring, vendor, or documentation workflows rather than memory.

5

Keep evidence in a consistent folder, GRC system, ticket queue, or audit workspace so an assessor can trace the control from requirement to implementation to review.

Evidence Normally Gathered

Information Flow Enforcement: access policy and role matrix.

Information Flow Enforcement: identity provider groups.

Information Flow Enforcement: access review records.

Information Flow Enforcement: remote access configuration.

Information Flow Enforcement: data-flow or boundary diagram.

Information Flow Enforcement: exception approvals.

Information Flow Enforcement: owner assignment and review cadence.

Information Flow Enforcement: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is information flow enforcement implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns information flow enforcement, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves information flow enforcement ran during the assessment period.

What happens when information flow enforcement fails, is bypassed, or has an exception?

How does this control connect to the system security plan, risk register, POA&M, and related CPCSC controls?

Sources

Source and attribution.

Formal control language is sourced from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security ITSP.10.171 publication. CPCSC Level 2 assessment context references the Government of Canada CPCSC program overview and ITSP.10.171-01 assessment guidance.

CPCSC Program OverviewITSP.10.171ITSP.10.171-01Open Government Licence - Canada