Deep fakes and big data: the next level of cyber warfare

Most people are unaware of the personal security risks confronting them when they make use of 21st century technology. Threats are embedded in the facial recognition technology that opens your iPhone, Chatbots on your online shopping sites, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) deployed in military operations. These technologies form a juggernaut of sophisticated devices storing […]
Cybersecurity is security and we’re only as secure as our weakest links

Cybersecurity has never been more vital to a nation’s security—its people, government, educational institutions, and businesses of all sizes. It is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face. Yet we are often reactive instead of proactive when it comes to cyberattacks, only acting after the fact. We’re then left to […]
Data-protection bill needs to be on parliamentary agenda this session, says privacy-law expert

During the 2019 federal election campaign, the governing Liberals committed to implementing Canada’s newly launched Digital Charter and its 10 principles that include assuring Canadians of “the integrity, authenticity, and security” of the digital services that they use, and that Canadians would have control over the data they share; and both know who is using […]
Bill C-11 was the gift that needed returning

Sometimes a long-awaited gift that arrives wrapped in sparkly paper disappoints when it is opened. That is the case with Bill C-11, introduced in November 2020, which included the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA). Pitched as an implementation of the privacy promises made in the Digital Charter, and as an answer to a decade’s worth […]
Time for a renovation of Canada’s privacy laws

The federal government must introduce a mix of legislation and policies to better protect Canadians and their personal information. On the legislative front, this must start with reforming Canada’s commercial privacy legislation. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) was passed into law in 2001. It established the federal privacy commissioner as an […]
Canadians are taking steps to protect their personal information—the government needs to do the same

With skyrocketing reports of phone scams, phishing attacks, and identity fraud, it’s clear: the personal data of Canadians is increasingly coveted by scammers and other nefarious actors. Fortunately, a vast majority of Canadians are aware of the significance of their personal information, with 74 per cent taking steps last year to better protect their personal […]
No more reports: Canada needs a strategy to put health-care innovations into action

With Canada’s federal election settled and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals returned to power, the health-care community now waits to see how promises made on the campaign trail translate into concrete policies to improve a health system battered by an ongoing pandemic. As much of the country struggles to gain an upper hand on a fourth wave […]
‘Talent is the jet fuel to get companies to grow and scale’: attracting foreign talent and IP protection critical for Canada’s innovation economy, says CCI

Turning Canada into an “innovation nation” capable of rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic will depend on measures including finding ways to improve access to foreign talent, says the executive director of the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI). “What we have seen since COVID has been a real challenge for domestic firms to compete globally in […]
Innovation Policy Briefing

As Canada faces rising inflation, economists urge caution in raising interest rates, with MPs saying federal government should share blame
As Canada’s inflation rate continues to rise and supply-chain problems add up, economists say the Bank of Canada should continue carefully monitoring the situation and not be too quick to raise interest rates in response, while two MPs say the Liberal government should be held accountable for the economic issues. “The Bank of Canada wants […]