Reshaping and securing Canada’s digital future

Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute collaborates with C.D. Howe Institute to host impactful cybersecurity policy conference in Toronto

By Regina Ashna Singh

Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute and Office of the Vice-President, Research and International

The University of Waterloo’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI) co-hosted a conference in Toronto with the C.D. Howe Institute to explore how Canada can lead in AI innovation while safeguarding individual privacy. The event, held on September 26, brought together government, academic, and industry stakeholders to discuss cybersecurity and public policy.

Dr. Anindya Sen, acting executive director of CPI, highlighted the need to prepare for cyber-attacks and examine how AI advancements affect privacy. The conference, sponsored by Mastercard, featured panel discussions on data governance, synthetic health data, public trust, and AI’s societal benefits. Experts from Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, and academia participated.

Dr. Sebastian Fischmeister emphasized the importance of cybersecurity in supply chains, advocating for quantitative cybersecurity requirements in business proposals. He called for hardware assessments and shared industry knowledge to improve security practices.

The conference underscored the importance of collaboration across sectors to address cybersecurity challenges, aiming to secure Canada's digital future and foster innovation.

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