Commentary
I don’t know how many times I have heard Canadians say that CSIS stands for the “Canadian Secret Intelligence Service.” It does not. The first “s” stand for “security,” and a security intelligence service is different than a foreign intelligence one, although in some countries the mandates overlap (think CIA). Similarly, many are convinced that CSE is short for “Canadian Security Establishment.” Again, wrong. The “c” stands for communications and is a hint into what this agency does (it collects signals intelligence, a.k.a. SIGINT, and helps to keep our communications secure).
In any event, it is not hard to see why their acronyms are misinterpreted. Both organizations are very secretive and do not often share their findings openly. They are reticent for a very simple reason: The protection of sources and methods is critical to their continued success. Should they open the files to everyone, they would not be in business much longer….