Canadian Security’s most-read stories of 2023

A central mandate for Canadian Security is to reflect change in the security industry and provide a platform for ideas that can shape its future.

In 2023, some of our most-read stories reflected these ideals with articles on role change for security professionals and advice on how to manage the ongoing challenge of cybersecurity threats.

Canadian Security’s award programs continue to be a favourite among readers, as evidenced by strong support for the annual Top 10 Under 40 (the 2024 contest is currently open for nominations), as well as Security Director of the Year and Canadian Security Honours awards.

These are our top 10 articles from 2023, based on readership and presented in chronological order.

Canadian Security announces Top 10 Under 40 recipients for 2023

Canadian Security announces the recipients of the 2023 Top 10 Under 40. Winners include security professionals from guarding, retail, health care, commercial property, and more.

How to prepare for cyberattack recovery

By Andy Stone, chief technology officer for the Americas, Pure Storage

aleng / Getty Images

Immediately following a cyberattack, business leaders have many areas that need attention. In a high-stress situation like this, it’s easy to let certain things fall through the cracks. However, with a recovery plan implemented far in advance, businesses can ensure a smoother road to recovery — one where each department knows its role and everyone is working in tandem to triage the situation and get back to business.

Learning the language of fraud

By Maryam Saeed, head of risk for Visa Canada

Galeanu Mihai / iStock / Getty Images Plus

You cannot eliminate risk, but you can prepare for it through careful planning with manageable phases to ensure you can apply the proper protections at each step.

• Recognize that risk is constantly changing in response to market dynamics, so risk management cannot be static. Companies should not only manage present risks but also plan for potential risks on the horizon. Leverage data from risk management systems to inform and improve ongoing business and technology decisions.
• Bring risk functions to the technology and business decision-making tables. Risk management is more than a suite of technologies, it is a strategy to protect your greatest assets.

The CISO reporting structure

By Kevin Magee, chief security officer, Microsoft Canada

There are a number of considerations that should be taken into account to ensure the success of both the organization and the CISO.

The first consideration when deciding who the CISO should report to is aligning this decision with the company’s overall strategy, cybersecurity organizational maturity, as well as industry and specific business context.

ASIS Canada to host three conferences this spring

By Jody Reid, Regional VP (Calgary), Region 6C, ASIS International

Denis O’Sullivan (left), first chair of the Edmonton chapter, receives notice of the chapter’s creation from Donald Murphy in 1983. (Image: ASIS International)

ASIS Canada hosted three conferences in the Spring of 2023, including Best Practices in Toronto and the Future of Security in Vancouver. ASIS also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Edmonton chapter, the first in Canada, with the FORTIFY conference in April. Speakers included 2023 ASIS International president Tim McCreight, CPP; past-president Dave Tyson, CPP; and 2022 Ron Minion-Canadian Security Pioneer Award winner Dr. Glen Kitteringham, CPP.

The changing role of security personnel

By Winston Stewart, president and CEO, Wincon Security

With the rise of technology and automation, will we still need guards? In this article, we will explore the role of the guard in this tech-driven world, why human security guards are still important, and what type of training and special skills they will need to succeed in the future.

Developing a security-first strategy for the cloud

By David Senf, national cybersecurity strategist, Bell Canada

Successful cloud security relies on a different mix of security controls than on-premises. But the good news is that “Get back to basics” nicely sums up what organizations need to do to stay secure in the cloud. The new recipe for success stems from fundamentals of security such as asset inventory, configuration management and logging across services.

Canadian Security announces Emerging Leader Award winner for 2023

Canadian Security is pleased to announce Chris Anquist as the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for 2023.

Anquist is regional manager of consulting & investigations for Western Canada at GardaWorld, responsible for the oversight and delivery of services including surveillance, investigations, security consulting, executive protection and major projects.

Canadian Security announces Security Director of the Year for 2023

Canadian Security announced the recipient of the 2023 Security Director of the Year award, Joey Bourgoin.

Bourgoin is the senior director of enterprise physical security at CIBC. Recognized for his leadership and strategic mindset, Bourgoin recently orchestrated a comprehensive update of CIBC’s physical security program, fostering a seamless balance between business enablement and risk mitigation.

Safeguarding Ontario’s health-care system from cyber-attacks

By Lyndon Dubeau, vice-president, Innovations for Connected Health, Ontario Health

Image: scanrail / iStock / Getty Images Plus

To address the growing threat of cyber-attacks, Ontario Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Business Service Delivery, developed the Provincial Cyber Security Operating Model (CSOM) that sets the direction and vision for cybersecurity in Ontario’s health-care sector.