The cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve in an increasingly interconnected world. Combatting these growing threats will require ongoing collaboration between governments and the private sector in Canada and abroad.
According to Fortinet’s Skills Gap Report, over 84 per cent of organizations experienced at least one cyberattack last year. The threat is pervasive and ever-changing. New attack vectors continue to emerge while enterprising cybercriminals evolve existing methods for increasingly sophisticated network infiltrations.
Cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and government agencies are a troubling area of development. Their sophistication, coupled with their potential impact on national security and economic stability, demands a more unified response.
Collaboration matters
Cooperation between public and private organizations offers some compelling advantages in the face of these new challenges. By sharing threat intelligence between organizations and nations, defenders can increase their ability to identify vulnerabilities, emerging risks, and attack patterns.
Globally, collaborative efforts are underway to help share the knowledge and best practices needed to disrupt cybercrime. Fortinet invests meaningful resources into these global partnerships, including the NATO Industry Cyber Partnership, MITRE Engenuity Center for Threat Informed Defense, NIST’s National Cybersecurity Excellence Partnership (NCEP) program, INTERPOL Gateway, and the Cyber Threat Alliance. Fortinet is also a founding partner of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity, with Fortinet CEO Ken Xie serving on the Centre’s advisory board.
“Across all these initiatives, government participation is crucial to building the resilience and preparedness needed to thwart cybercrime. Shaping effective cybersecurity policies and regulations will require input from industry experts. Fortinet actively engages with policymakers to advocate for balanced regulations that promote security without stifling innovation,” said Bill Park, VP for Canada Federal and National Capital Region Sales at Fortinet Canada. “To further this deep public-private collaboration, we hosted the inaugural Fortinet Summit for the Government of Canada at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.”
Held on June 6, the event drew from Fortinet’s global talent and the company’s local Ottawa presence. The Summit was designed specifically for federal government organizations and focused on their most pressing cybersecurity issues. Hundreds of IT and cybersecurity professionals were in attendance, representing a cross-section of the federal public sector.
Attendees participated in engaging keynote speeches and panels facilitated by Fortinet leaders, including Anthony Giandomenico, Vice President of Global Security Consulting, and Jim Richberg, Head of Cyber Policy, as well as guest speakers Richard Fadden, Former Deputy Minister of National Defence of Canada, and Rear Admiral L. Carosielli, Chief of Staff at Digital Service Group.
The participants also experienced live demonstrations centred on enhancing the cybersecurity resilience of Canada’s federal agencies. These live simulations of real-world cyberattacks allowed participants to witness how attacks unfold and how effective responses can mitigate or prevent damage. Those who attended left the Summit with a more in-depth understanding of today’s threat landscape through a government lens with the tools and solutions at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation.
Fortinet advance information sharing
Robert May, EVP of Technology and Product Management at Fortinet and keynote speaker at the Summit, gave some insights: “Cybercriminals continue to innovate and take advantage of new technologies, making combatting them a constant challenge. While there’s no silver bullet to mitigate the risk, increasing collaboration and information sharing between governments and private organizations is a step in the right direction. As a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, Fortinet invests heavily in threat intelligence through its FortiGuard Labs. Much of the threat intelligence research done by FortiGuard Labs happens in the company’s Burnaby, B.C., offices. The resulting threat intelligence is woven into Fortinet’s product offerings and shared through collaboration with governments and law enforcement organizations.”
Cybercrime can impact everyone, and the consequences of experiencing a breach are far-reaching, whether you are a corporation, or a government. Through events like the Fortinet Summit for the Government of Canada, sharing information, and cultivating relationships, Canada can collectively increase its potential to get ahead of cybercrime.
