Canada's critical infrastructure faces an expanding cyberthreat landscape driven by state-sponsored actors, cybercrime-as-a-service ecosystems and unpredictable hacktivist groups. Geopolitical tensions intensify risks as adversaries pre-position themselves on operational technology systems, exploiting edge devices and leveraging AI-enhanced attacks. Recent incidents targeting Canadian water facilities, farms and industrial systems demonstrate vulnerabilities are no longer theoretical.

Effective defense demands collaborative approaches across government and industry, comprehensive asset inventories, and robust supply chain protections. Organizations must prioritize secure-by-design principles, continuous monitoring and incident preparedness.

Led by Richard Larose of Canadian Center for Cyber Security, the session will explore:

• Current threat landscape facing Canadian critical infrastructure operators and geopolitical risks amplifying OT vulnerabilities;
• Asset protection strategies against state-sponsored attacks, ransomware and hacktivist disruptions;
• Supply chain defense mechanisms and geostrategic frameworks to overcome systemic risks facing OT systems.