CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.17.03Supply chain risk management

CPCSC Level 2 03.17.03: Supply Chain Requirements and Processes

Apply supply chain requirements and processes to manage supplier, acquisition, and supply chain risks that affect the in-scope environment 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 03.17.03. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Establish a process for identifying and addressing weaknesses or deficiencies in the supply chain elements and processes
  • Enforce the following security requirements to protect against supply chain risks to the system, system components, or system services and to limit the harm or consequences from supply chain-related events: [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

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes is part of the CPCSC Level 2 Supply chain risk management family. This is about managing supplier and acquisition risk where vendors, subcontractors, tools, or services affect specified information.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether supply chain requirements and processes 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 supply chain requirements and processes.

2

Create a supply chain risk plan, add security requirements to acquisition processes, assess suppliers, and track supply chain exceptions and remediation.

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

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: SCRM plan.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: supplier risk reviews.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: contract security clauses.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: procurement checklists.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: vendor remediation records.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: owner assignment and review cadence.

Supply Chain Requirements and Processes: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is supply chain requirements and processes implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns supply chain requirements and processes, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves supply chain requirements and processes ran during the assessment period.

What happens when supply chain requirements and processes 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