‘We must make Canadian cyberspace a harder target,’ says CSE chief
More than 14 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime is the “most prevalent, most pervasive threat to Canadians and to Canadian businesses,” as the slate of players looking to exploit both human and technical vulnerabilities continues to grow, according to Chief of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) Shelly Bruce. “We also know that state-sponsored threat […]
Protecting Canada and improving cyber defence: three challenges
Everyone wants a piece of cyber—everyone wants to talk about it, to make it part of their mandate, add it as a consideration, or make it a focus. Cyber can be tricky to define; it can be a national security problem, a law enforcement focus, a defence challenge, and an opportunity to advance foreign policy […]
Are Canadians prepared for cyberattacks in the second Cold War?
We have seen reliable evidence and reports showing that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is committing crimes against humanity targeting members of the Uyghur minority group. The CCP is also waging a crackdown on human rights in Hong Kong by arresting journalists, scholars, pro-democracy legislators, and advocates for freedom. Beyond its borders, China has adopted […]
Humans are not the weakest link of cybersecurity—they are its strongest asset
It is common to hear cybersecurity experts blame users when asked to reflect on why the situation is so dire in their field, often describing them as the “weakest link” in the digital ecosystem. Computer scientists and technical support professionals have crafted several sarcastic acronyms for users challenged by the technical complexity of computer systems. […]
Ethical AI can unlock social and economic opportunity for Canada
Imagine that you are about to begin an important university exam. You sit down in front of your computer, already stressed because all learning and evaluations are now online due to COVID-19. Moments before the exam is about to begin, the university’s proctoring software, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to confirm each person’s identity, […]
The robot revolution is changing jobs and businesses in Canada
In 2017, I returned to Canada from Sweden, where I had spent a year working on automation in mining. Shortly after my return, The New York Times published a piece called, “The Robots Are Coming, and Sweden Is Fine,” about Sweden’s embrace of automation while limiting human costs. Although Swedes are apparently optimistic about their […]
Canada has a running start in the technology leadership race
As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, Canadians are now depending more than ever on reliable connectivity to stay in touch, work, and conduct business. The pandemic has presented new challenges which increasingly require digital solutions, and have brought to the fore pre-existing discussions on the vital role of emerging technologies. The potential benefits […]
Time for Canada to catch up on technological transformation
Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman once quipped that “productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.” He was referring to the fact that the wages of workers are intrinsically linked to productivity and that a country’s standard of living depends almost entirely on its ability to increase output per worker. Other […]
Artificial intelligence another avenue for government to thwart transparency
OTTAWA—Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in use at federal agencies are rarely publicly known or sufficiently scrutinized. Yet the algorithms in play to either assist or replace the judgment of human decision-makers can make predictions, recommendations, and decisions that can significantly impact individuals and public policy. One example recently brought to light: the Globe and Mail […]
Unite the forces of government, business, and science to combat climate change post-pandemic
COVID-19 has dominated news headlines in 2020, with governments around the globe focused on protecting the health of its citizens, and businesses across all industries scrambling for ways to both survive and keep their employees safe. This has been the year of a pandemic, but it has also been the year of Australian wildfires, deforestation […]
