In a recent survey on CCN's website we asked members to identify from a list of cybersecurity items they wished governments would address. Below is the outcome of the survey answered by over 220 participants during the month of April.
Employment
There is a huge malaise in the industry due to the competing belief that is a cybersecurity talent shortage while others believe there is an actual surplus of talent graduating but not being hired by employers due to outdated hiring cultures or requiring 5+ years of experience, certifications, etc. This was discussed in a great past CCN video here Failure to launch - Exploring why Canada is failing to grow cyber talent and what can be done to address it.
With Canada's education being a fractured approach, with institutions competing for limited funding there are many approaches to teaching cybersecurity but much of it lags the industry and unfortunately the threat actors.
Business funding
With cyber attacks escalating, businesses are struggling to afford system upgrades, with SMB's in particular struggling to survive. There are clear indications many businesses are struggling to stay profitable and with limited knowledge about cybersecurity and a plethora of vendors selling different solutions, many companies have no clue where to invest.
The vulnerability of SMB's and of all companies creates a dangerous cyber threat in this day and age of integrated supply chains and digital dependencies.
Privacy
There is an urgent need for government to further accelerate privacy requirements federally and provincially to get closer to EU standards. Individuals and businesses are starting to feel overwhelmed not only with the impact of their data but of how they as a business must continue to learn and scale with legislation and incoming threats. There is a need under business funding for governments to help businesses scale with privacy changes and costs.
CCN will continue to take a pulse on these issues throughout the year and also start pushing for change at the legislative level for governments to address these key areas.