Information technology standards
The Government of Ontario Information and Technology Standards (GO-ITS) are the official publications concerning the standards, guidelines, technical reports and preferred practices adopted by the Government of Ontario.
Product Standards
GO-ITS 30.3 Ontario Public Service Business Intelligence Software
This document defines the Ontario Public Service standard for Business Intelligence (BI) software.
Practice Standards
GO-ITS 35 Ontario Public Service Enterprise Change Management Standard
This document establishes standard ECM Principles, Roles and associated process and process model for use across the Ontario Public Service.
GO-ITS 36 Enterprise Service Asset Configuration Management (eSACM)
This document is for ministries and agencies that use Ontario Public Service (OPS) information and information technology products or services. It establishes the enterprise Service Asset and Configuration Management process (eSACM) principles, roles and associated process model for a single unified eSACM process within the OPS.
GO-ITS 37 Enterprise Incident Management Process
This document redefines certain aspects of the enterprise Incident Management Principles, Roles and the associated process model.
GO-ITS 38 Enterprise Problem Management Process
This document establishes the enterprise Problem Management Principles, Roles and the associated process model. These standard elements provide a single unified process for enterprise Problem Management within the Ontario Public Service.
GO-ITS 40 Enterprise Release Management
This document establishes standard eRM Principles, Roles and associated process and process model for use across the Ontario Public Service.
GO-ITS 41 Enterprise Service Level Management
Learn about the enterprise Service Level Management process for our information and information technology (I&IT) products and services.
GO-ITS 44 ITSM Terminology Reference Model
Get definitions for terms we use for IT service management (ITSM).
GO-ITS 55 Ontario Public Service IT Service Desk Interaction Model and Incident Management Support Patterns
This document provides service support patterns for the Ontario Public Service IT Service Desk (ITSD).
GO-ITS 200PRS Ontario Public Service Enterprise Architecture Governance Requirements
This standard outlines the Ontario Public Service Enterprise Architecture governance requirements that must be followed for IT projects.
GO-ITS 56.4 Ontario Public Service Business Intelligence Reference Model
This reference model provides an abstract representation of Business Intelligence in the context of government programs and services.
Security Standards
GO-ITS 25.0 General Security Requirements
This document defines general security requirements for the protection of the integrity, confidentiality and availability of Government of Ontario networks and computer systems.
GO-ITS 25.1 Security Requirements for Routers and Switches
This document is one in a series that define operational principles, requirements and best practices for the protection of Government of Ontario networks and computer systems.
GO-ITS 25.5 Security Requirements for Wireless LANs
This document sets out security requirements for wireless LANs (WLANs) within the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.6 Security Requirements for Firewalls
This document sets out security requirements for firewall design, specification, and deployment within the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.7 Security Requirements for Remote Access Services
This document sets out the security requirements for remote access services (RAS) for the Government of Ontario (the Government).
GO-ITS 25.8 Security Requirements for Servers
This document sets out security requirements for servers deployed by, or operated on behalf of, the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.10 Security Requirements for Mobile Devices
This document describes security requirements for the use of mobile devices and technology within the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.11 Security Design Requirements
This document describes security concepts and requirements that are useful for designers, implementers, and evaluators.
GO-ITS 25.12 Security Requirements for the Use of Cryptography
This document outlines the context and requirements for appropriate use of cryptography within the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.13 Security Requirements for Web Applications
This document describes security requirements for the implementation of Internet Web Applications within the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.18 Data Centre Physical Security Standards
This document describes minimum security requirements for the physical design, construction, and operation of data centres for the Government of Ontario.
GO-ITS 25.20 Disposal, Loss and Incident Reporting of Computerized Devices and Digital Storage Media
This standard sets out the processes and procedures that must be followed when disposing of all computerized devices and digital storage media, including the technical procedures that must be used to adequately sanitize and/or destroy them.
GO-ITS 25.21 Cloud First Principles and Security Requirements
This document is for ministries and agencies that use Ontario Public Service (OPS) information and information technology products or services. It is intended to assist in Cloud Services adoption, and help ensure that the use of Cloud Services does not result in undue levels of risk while promoting evidence of controls geared to clear criteria.
GO-ITS 42 Security Requirements for Enterprise Vulnerability Management
This document outlines an Enterprise Vulnerability Management Practice (EVMP) and describes parameters, features, or configurations associated with managing vulnerabilities across the Ontario Public Service.
Data structure standards
GO-ITS 43 Web Metadata Standard
This standard outlines a set of metadata elements for the description of Government of Ontario web resources.
GO-ITS 46 Common Metadata Elements Standard
The Common Metadata Elements Standard (CMES) is intended for those creating and using specialized metadata standards.
GO-ITS 74 Date Format
This standard sets a common 8-digit format for dates held in electronic files and follows the international ISO standards for date format.
GO-ITS 23 Government of Ontario Web Standard
This standard defines directions in the areas of corporate functionality, accessibility, usability, look and feel, and responsibility for Government of Ontario websites.
GO-ITS 59 Single Business Number Standard
This standard mandates the format and use for the Single Business Number (SBN) which Government of Ontario programs must use if referencing business entities within business transactions and in IT applications.
Technology standards
Network infrastructure
GO-ITS 1.40 Electronic Communications and Networking SMTP Electronic Mail
This is an updated standard to mandate the use of Ontario.ca as approved by the Ontario Modernization Committee.
GO-ITS 571TES Network Quality of Service Standard
This document defines the requirements for service classes and design criteria when deploying QoS.
GO-ITS 580TES Cabling and Wiring for Voice and Data Communications
This standard defines the requirements for the cabling and wiring of data and voice communications in Government of Ontario buildings.
Geospatial
GO-ITS 29 Ontario Road Network
This document outlines the Ontario Road Network (ORN) Data Standard for Road Geometry and Attributes.
GO-ITS 541TES NAD83-CSRS official horizontal geodetic datum for Ontario
This standard defines the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) - Canadian Spatial Reference System (CSRS) version, or more commonly known as NAD83-CSRS, as the official horizontal geodetic datum to be used for all geo-spatial referencing activities.
GO-ITS 542TES National Transformation Tools
This standard describes the National Transformation Tools to be used in Ontario to transform geospatial information between horizontal datums using the National Transformation version 2 (NTv2) and between vertical datums using the conversion grid from the difference between the Height Transformation version 2.0 (HT2.0) and the Canadian Gravimetric Geoid model of 2013 – version A (CGG2013a).
GO-ITS 543TES Ontario Specification for GNSS Geodetic Control Surveys
This standard specifies the Ontario Specification for GNSS Geodetic Control Surveys (2023) which provides all the requirements for Global Navigation Satellite System/Global Positioning System (GNSS/GPS) horizontal and/or vertical geodetic control surveys intended for inclusion or loading into the provincial geodetic control database known as COSINE (COntrol Survey INformation Exchange).
GO-ITS 544TES CGVD2013 official geodetic vertical datum for Ontario
This standard defines the official geodetic vertical datum for Ontario as the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 2013 (CGVD2013).