CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.16.01System and services acquisition

CPCSC Level 2 03.16.01: Security Engineering Principles

Apply security engineering principles to build security expectations into engineering, unsupported components, and external services 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 03.16.01. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Apply the following systems security engineering principles to the development or modification of the system and system components: [Assignment: organization-defined systems security engineering principles].

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

What This Means In Plain English

Security Engineering Principles is part of the CPCSC Level 2 System and services acquisition family. This is about building security into systems, purchases, unsupported technology decisions, and external service relationships before they become assessment problems.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether security engineering principles 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 security engineering principles.

2

Apply secure engineering principles, manage unsupported components, define external service requirements, and include security requirements in procurement and vendor management.

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

Security Engineering Principles: secure design reviews.

Security Engineering Principles: unsupported component register.

Security Engineering Principles: vendor security requirements.

Security Engineering Principles: service agreements.

Security Engineering Principles: architecture decision records.

Security Engineering Principles: owner assignment and review cadence.

Security Engineering Principles: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is security engineering principles implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns security engineering principles, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves security engineering principles ran during the assessment period.

What happens when security engineering principles 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