CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.01.09Access control

CPCSC Level 2 03.01.09: System Use Notification

Apply system use notification 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.

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Formal Control Language

Official ITSP.10.171 wording for 03.01.09. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Display a system use notification message with privacy and security notices consistent with applicable specified information rules before granting access to the system.

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

What This Means In Plain English

System Use Notification 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 system use notification 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 system use notification.

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

System Use Notification: access policy and role matrix.

System Use Notification: identity provider groups.

System Use Notification: access review records.

System Use Notification: remote access configuration.

System Use Notification: data-flow or boundary diagram.

System Use Notification: exception approvals.

System Use Notification: owner assignment and review cadence.

System Use Notification: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is system use notification implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns system use notification, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves system use notification ran during the assessment period.

What happens when system use notification 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