In the current national and geopolitical context, compounding factors underscore a growing concern for Canada’s cybersecurity. The cybersecurity risk Canadians face is increasing year over year, as more individuals and organizations move online and more public and private services are digitized.
In tandem with this trend, the frequency and complexity of cyber threats are growing. Moreover, an increasing number and range of malicious cyber actors now have relatively easy access to exploitation tools and tradecraft to access networks and online information for purposes of intelligence, power, profit, or intimidation. It follows, then, that cyber incidents have and will continue to have an increased impact on Canadians and Canadian governments and businesses as operations and services are disrupted, privacy is breached, critical information is stolen, critical infrastructure is attacked, recovery costs soar and reputational damage is incurred.
The new Cybersecurity Collaborative Specialization builds on Carleton’s internationally recognized excellence in the many and diverse facets of cybersecurity. Working alongside professors from across the disciplines – including international affairs, critical infrastructure protection, computer engineering, computer science, and information technology – and with private and public sector cybersecurity stakeholders from across Canada, students participating in this specialization will grapple with building stronger technological systems, processes, and platforms, developing international norms, laws, and standards for cyberspace, and better consider the nexus between human rights, governance, security, and technology.