What is the “Accelerated Growth Service (ASG) Hub” and how does it work?
The AGS Hub is a secure online tool that allows AGS companies and partners to share relevant information and save time. By uploading company information to the Hub, the trusted AGS network of government partners, including other federal departments and government agencies, can access many of the standard and common details they may need as they work with businesses along the AGS journey.
How does a business log into the AGS Hub?
A company who is currently receiving Growth service support, can sign in using one of the following options:
- GCKey: A Government of Canada sign-in to conduct online business with various government programs and services.
- Verified.Me: Sign in using an online bank or participating Sign-In Partner to access government services.
We’ve included some sign-in instructions for each option.
What is the difference between the My Canada Business Account associated with the AGS HUB sign in, and the My Business Account?
The My Business Account is a secure online portal directly associated with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) whereas the My Canada Business Account has a wider scope and can be associated with a broader range of government programs and services.
Can any business log into the AGS Hub?
- Only firms who are actively receiving support from an Innovation Advisor as part of the AGS Growth service can access the AGS Hub.
- If you would like to learn more about the Growth service and whether you might qualify, please visit our Accelerated Growth Service page.
Is the information in the AGS Hub secure?
The information uploaded to the AGS Hub is secure and accessed only by authorized AGS partners and team members. Individual business profiles are accessible only to those partners and contacts associated with it.
What measures are in place to ensure the AGS Hub is secure?
The AGS team has implemented and maintains a number of security standards within the AGS Hub, including:
System Authentication
- The AGS Hub does not store password information
- The AGS Hub leverages GCKey and Government Sign-In by Verified.Me identities to authenticate users
- Two-factor authentication provides an additional security layer to the login process by requiring a one-time passcode
Session Security
- User sessions expire after 1 hour of inactivity on the AGS Hub
- Internal users are limited to one active session at a time
Securing Data In Transit
- When you access the AGS Hub using a supported web browser, HTTPS / Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology protects your information using both server authentication and data encryption. When you log in, you will see a small lock icon in your browser display, indicating that a secure connection has been established to the server.
Securing Data At Rest
- The AGS Hub is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud servers in Canada, the market leading cloud platform.
- AWS has disk encryption. All data stored on AWS is encrypted by using an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) encryption algorithm when stored on disk.
- Field level encryption provides added protection for Protected B information using Probabilistic Encryption
- All files uploaded to the Hub are also encrypted using Probabilistic Encryption
- The AGS Hub uses the principle of least privilege, all users are restricted to see only the data in the system that is required for them to work, access to all over data is blocked
Data Residency
- All data is stored on servers located in Canada
Coding Standards
- All components / custom code is designed and implemented to restrict user access using the user profile.
- A security health check is run against the code.
How will my data / privacy be protected?
Innovation Canada follows the privacy guidelines under the Government of Canada’s Privacy Act.
Who do I reach out to for help with technical issues?
If you need help using the AGS Hub or have any questions, please get in touch.