Survey Name: 2020 CIRA Cybersecurity Report
Survey Size: 500 IT Security Professionals who managed a minimum of 50 users of desktops or mobile devices
Survey Date: October 2020

Full Survey Results

Discussed on 10/22/2020 Episode

Working towards a safe and secure internet for all Canadians is a major plank of CIRA’s mandate. After five years of experience in the cybersecurity field and with this third annual CIRA Cybersecurity Survey, we wanted to not only provide a comprehensive overview of the threat landscape in Canada compared to previous years, but also gain a unique understanding of the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Considering that COVID created a complicated scenario for many organizations, it’s no surprise to see that some of the new challenges around cybersecurity emerging in this year’s report. Organizations that used to rely on workers to gather in the same building and use hardware deployed by and monitored by IT staff are now trying to support their employees as they work across a distributed geography from home offices. Meanwhile, some organizations are reporting an increase in the number of attacks they’re facing, many of those themed to take advantage of COVID-19. As those employees anxiously make their way through government lockdowns and worry about their health, they are more susceptible to click on a phishing attempt.

It seems like there will be no cavalry to call in and save the day. Fewer organizations than last year are expecting to invest more resources into cybersecurity, both in terms of human and financial resources. Perhaps that’s why we see concern growing around the potential negative impacts on cybersecurity on organizations.