Presented in collaboration with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).
Focus
Municipalities are the first line of service and support for Canadians across the country, but headlines about cybersecurity attacks on local government have shown the potential for hackers to steal residents’ information and bring critical community services to a standstill. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, municipalities across Canada have transitioned to online services: remote work options, live streamed council meetings, and new digital platforms to manage citizens’ services. But with municipalities being increasingly targeted by ransomware and other sophisticated cyber attacks, municipal data and systems are more vulnerable than ever.
Panelists will discuss cyber defences and vulnerabilities for municipalities, AI and emerging cyber threats, what to do in the event of an attack, cost of recovery, legal liability for breaches, awareness training, working with law enforcement, emergency preparedness, IT best practices, and how communities can pool resources to defend their data.
This edition of FCM’s Collective Webinar series is presented in collaboration with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).
Moderator
Emily Laidlaw, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law and Associate Professor, University of Calgary
Emily Laidlaw is a Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law and Associate Professor at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Law. She researches in the areas of technology regulation and human rights, with a focus on platform regulation, privacy and freedom of expression. She is the author of the book Regulating Speech in Cyberspace: Gatekeepers, Human Rights and Corporate Responsibility (Cambridge University Press, 2015). As a scholar Dr. Laidlaw actively contributes to law reform and other advisory work, with recent projects for the Federal Government, Law Commission of Ontario, the Uniform Law Conference of Canada and the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. She co-chaired the expert advisory panel on online safety appointed by the Government of Canada to advise on next steps for the development of legislation to address online harms. Dr. Laidlaw is a network director of the Canadian Network on Information Security and a member of the Institute for Security, Privacy and Information Assurance.
Speakers
Kevin Paul, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, Cybera
Kevin Paul brings a unique experience in cybersecurity and law enforcement to the public sector, enabling solutions that offer improved safety, security, and confidence in a digitally connected world. As the cybersecurity director at Cybera, he is currently focused on the design, development and implementation of a regional Security Operations Centre for Alberta's post-secondary institutions, while working to integrate with a new national CanSSOC. Prior to joining Cybera, Kevin led the Calgary Police Service’s Cybercrime Team, where he supported several international ransomware and online undercover operations, and developed an Advanced Cyber Capabilities Team. He also led a public-private-public partnership between the Calgary Police Service and the University of Calgary's Canadian Cyber Assessment, Training and Experimentation Centre — a first of its kind in Canada. Kevin has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Calgary, and previously worked for the university and a national telecommunications company in various technical roles, including high performance research computing and e-commerce security. He is also a certified police bomb technician.
Jon Ferguson, General Manager, Cybersecurity and DNS Services
Jon Ferguson leads the Cybersecurity & DNS services unit at CIRA that builds upon the organization’s world class DNS services to provide cybersecurity services and training to Canadians and the global internet community. For the past 15 years, Jon has worked in product leadership roles for organizations building globally distributed Internet of Things and Cybersecurity solutions. Prior to joining CIRA, he was Director of Public Key Infrastructure & IOT at Entrust where he helped launch a suite of products including next generation, SaaS based security solutions to the company’s global customer base. Jon holds a Bachelor of Geographic Analysis degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Jon is an avid sports fan and you will find him on the Golf Course, baseball field playing in the local Fastball league or engaged in other outdoor activities with his two sons and wife.
Lindsay MacDonald, Manager, Partnerships Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
Lindsay has worked at the Communication Security Establishment (CSE) for 18 years, including many years developing and delivering cyber security training to internal CSE staff. She has spent the past 3 years leading a team within the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (a business line of CSE) that engages with Canadian critical infrastructure partners to disseminate information on the changing threat landscape and provide cyber security advice guidance and services. Lindsay works directly with the following critical infrastructure sectors: Health, Provinces/Territories, Academic, Transport, Defence Industrial Base and Federal Crown Corporations. She is passionate about supporting Indigenous IT professionals and organizations in their journey toward improving resilience to cyber threats and cyber attacks. She is a graduate of mechanical engineering from Queen’s University.
Melanie Power, Manager, O.P.P. Cyber Operations Section
Detective Inspector Melanie Power is the Manager of the O.P.P. Cyber Operations Section (COS) comprised of a diverse mix of uniformed investigators and civilian technical analysts. Our mandate is to provide excellence in specialized digital forensic investigative support. COS is also responsible for the administration of the O.P.P. Cyber Strategy with a mission to manage risks, reduce threats, and minimize harm caused by crime involving digital technologies. Melanie in her current role hopes to bring representatives from law enforcement, business, and academia together to enhance our awareness and overall investigative impact.