Communications Security Establishment

Communications Security Establishment
	Badge of CSE
	CSE wordmark
	; Edward Drake Building, CSE headquarters
Agency overview
Formed	1946
Preceding agency	Examination Unit, a civilian organization established in 1941, by the National Research Council;
Type	government agency responsible for cyber security and information assurance; foreign intelligence; defensive and active cyber operations; technical and operational assistance;
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Employees	3,841 (2024-25)
Annual budget	$1.0417 Billion (2024–25)
Minister responsible	Hon. David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence;
Agency executive	Caroline Xavier, Chief of Communications Security Establishment;
Child agencies	Canadian Centre for Cyber Security; Tutte Institute for Mathematics and Computing;
Key document	Communications Security Establishment Act;
Website	www.cse-cst.gc.ca/en

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE; French: Centre de la sécurité des télécommunications, CST) is Canada's national cryptologic intelligence and security agency. It is responsible for foreign signals intelligence, conducting cyber operations, cyber security and information assurance, and providing technical and operational assistance to the military, federal law enforcement, and other security agencies.

CSE is a standalone agency under the National Defence portfolio. The current head of CSE, the Chief, is Caroline Xavier, who assumed the office on 31 August 2022. The Chief is accountable to the Minister of National Defence. The National Defence Minister is in turn accountable to the Cabinet and Parliament.