Cybersecurity Is Foundational to Canada’s Economic and National Security

On November 18, 2024, the Canadian Chamber’s Cyber. Right. Now. Council hosted its second in-person series of meetings with senior government officials from across departments, agencies and ministries to discuss the state of cybersecurity, cybercrime, cyber resilience and cybersecurity legislation in Canada, as well as the critical role cybersecurity plays in protecting Canada’s economy, infrastructure and society.

The meetings took place at the Canadian Chamber’s Ottawa office and on Parliament Hill and included conversations with the Communications Security Establishment Canada, the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, Public Safety Canada, RCMP’s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Discussions led by the Canadian Chamber focused on the following key areas during these meetings:

Economic Security Is National Security

---

• A need to strengthen capacity to counter misinformation and propaganda campaigns as state and non-state threat actors increasingly exploit cognitive and technological vulnerabilities.

• Cyber threats directly impact Canada’s economy, with billions in losses annually. That’s why cyber resilience is foundational to safeguarding our national interests and why national security requires economic cooperation.
• Greater investments in cybersecurity education and the retention of skilled talent are essential in meeting the growing demand and competition for skilled professionals domestically and globally, thereby strengthening our economic and national security. Online security affects Canadians of all generations, regardless of when they were born. It’s never too early, or too late, to start educating Canadians on how to practice good cyber hygiene, especially as exposure to gadgets, devices and technologies grows daily.

Cybersecurity Leadership

---

• Canada’s G7 Presidency in 2025 will provide a unique opportunity to put cybersecurity on the podium and show leadership. Considering our cybersecurity capabilities, including Canada’s impressive pool of companies, technologies, talent and expertise, it’s time for Canada to be bold and showcase our strengths.

The Need for Secure by Design, Secure by Default and Secure by Demand

---

• Given that the Internet of Things has become the Internet of Everything, the Canadian Chamber must raise public awareness through advocacy about the critical importance of cybersecurity being incorporated into every system we build. Security cannot be bolted on as an after-thought, it must be designed in from the get-go. Due to the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape — with the threat surface and threat sophistication constantly growing — increasing cyber resilience throughout the entire life-cycle of products and systems is essential. This will help reduce exposure.

Cybersecurity Legislation

---

• Alarming emerging trends of homegrown cyber criminals and cybercrime-as-a-service are on the rise, and losses due to cybercrime in Canada are up 50%, hitting $1.2 billion in 2023.¹ As cybercrime and cyber attacks surge, there is an urgent need to put cybersecurity legislation in place and pass Bill C-26, An Act respecting cybersecurity, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts. While the Bill might not be perfect, it is a step in the right direction.

The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships and Collaboration

---

• Cybersecurity is a team sport and that fact is all the more pronounced and important considering the increasing prevalence of cybercrime and geopolitical tensions and complexities. Public-private cybersecurity partnerships, continuous collaboration and two-way information sharing between government and industry are key in helping safeguard businesses, governments and societies. The Canadian Chamber believes that continuous investment in Canadian cybersecurity innovation is also important so we can remain competitive and be lock-step with our allies and key trading partners when it comes to cybersecurity. This will further boost innovation, create jobs and retain talent, resulting in a strengthened economy and enhanced national security. After all, economic security is national security!

Supporting the Fight Against Cyber-Enabled Fraud

---

• Canadians are flooding the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre with more than 400,000 calls annually and only about 30,000 (7.5%) can be answered. Cyber-enabled fraud in Canada is a nearly $6 billion issue, with only an estimated 5–10% of victims reporting to police. Resourcing for the RCMP’s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is failing to keep up and we are concerned these organizations will fall further behind in meeting the growing the demand for their services.²

To learn more about the Council’s advocacy in this space, visit the Cyber. Right. Now. Council page or contact Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology & Innovation, and Cyber. Right. Now. Council Lead.

---

¹ Statistics Canada, Impact of cybercrime on Canadian businesses, 2023, October 2024, URL: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/241021/dq241021a-eng.htm

² Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP’s 2024-25 Departmental plan at a glance, January 2024, URL: https://rcmp.ca/en/corporate-information/publications-and-manuals/2024-25-departmental-plan