On June 18, 2024, ISC2, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce, hosted a Thought Leadership Event on Cybersecurity at the Ontario Investment and Trade Center in Toronto, Canada.
The event brought together Canadian government leaders from federal, provincial and local levels for a day of discussion and networking focused on workforce development in North America.
The day kicked off with an academic roundtable on cybersecurity workforce development with opening remarks from Bradley Harker, Commercial Consul Toronto, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Department of Commerce. Tara Wisniewski, ISC2 Executive Vice President, Advocacy, Global Markets and Member Engagement moderated the roundtable which was attended by representatives from academia, government and the private sector. The discussion focused on the academic challenges across Canada and how those might be solved by the joint efforts of government, universities and ISC2.
The afternoon began with remarks from the Honorable Todd J.
McCarthy, Minister of Public & Business Service Delivery and
Procurement Minister. He spoke about the provincial government’s
efforts, and particularly Bill 194, Strengthening Cyber Security and
Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024. The bill proposes the
Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act, 2024 ("EDSTA"), and seeks
to amend the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
("FIPPA").
A fireside chat and luncheon presentation on Cyber Trends and Organizational Resilience was moderated by Shweta Nagpal, Commercial Specialist, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Department of Commerce. Panelists included:
- Raphael Adeyemo, Business Unit Security Officer at Manulife, and Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity at Conestoga College, ISC2 Toronto Chapter President
- Tara Wisniewski, ISC2 EVP
- Nicole Ennis, Training Advisor at Learning Tree International
In a LinkedIn blog, Raphael gave three keys to success in a cybersecurity career: “Curiosity, team spirit, and the willingness to be vulnerable; acknowledging that saying, ‘I don't know’ is not a weakness.”
After the discussion, Training Advisor Nicole Ennis presented a case study on Overcoming the Challenge of Cybersecurity and Workforce Development. The study focused on multinational companies that have trained their staff through Learning Tree International. Learning Tree International is a Global Training Official Training Partner of ISC2 and provides training opportunities across the United States and Canada, as well as in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Closing remarks were given by Jennifer O’Connell, Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions
and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cyber Security). She discussed
upcoming initiatives and priorities from within the federal
government to benefit all Canadians.
The event was a tremendous success, bringing together representatives from academia, government, business, and ISC2 – including chapters and training partners – and supports the ISC2 mission of strengthening the influence, diversity and vitality of the field through advocacy, expertise and workforce empowerment that accelerates cyber safety and security in an interconnected world.
About ISC2 Advocacy
The ISC2 Advocacy team is comprised of individuals around the world who are working to amplify the influential and respected voice of our members. With our more than 600,000 certified members, associates and ISC2 Candidates, the team is focused on developing meaningful and impactful policy, guidance, frameworks, regulations and laws across the globe.