CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.10.06Physical protection

CPCSC Level 2 03.10.06: Alternate Work Site

Apply alternate work site to protect facilities, work sites, transmission paths, and physical access to systems and media 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 03.10.06. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Determine alternate work sites allowed for use by employees
  • Employ the following security requirements at alternate work sites: [Assignment: organization-defined security requirements]

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

What This Means In Plain English

Alternate Work Site is part of the CPCSC Level 2 Physical protection family. This is about making physical access controls match the sensitivity of systems, media, transmission points, and alternate work locations.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether alternate work site 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 alternate work site.

2

Define restricted areas, approve access, monitor entry, control visitors, protect transmission paths, and document alternate work site expectations.

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

Alternate Work Site: facility access lists.

Alternate Work Site: visitor logs.

Alternate Work Site: badge reports.

Alternate Work Site: alternate work agreements.

Alternate Work Site: physical security diagrams.

Alternate Work Site: transmission path controls.

Alternate Work Site: owner assignment and review cadence.

Alternate Work Site: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is alternate work site implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns alternate work site, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves alternate work site ran during the assessment period.

What happens when alternate work site 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