As Canadians spend more time online these days, it’s important to be aware of online risks and cyberattacks.
A new report by the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC), a Halifax-based think tank, says firms in the region are trailing in cybersecurity investments.
“Compared to the national rates, we’re behind,” says Patrick Brannon, a senior researcher for APEC. “About 12 per cent of Atlantic Canadian businesses are really adopting cybersecurity technologies. This was in 2019. Nationally, about 14 per cent. So, it doesn’t sound like a big gap, but it’s still important.”
Brannon says while bigger firms have more at stake, smaller companies aren’t immune to cyberattacks. And while the smaller organizations might not have big IT budgets, cybersecurity needs to be factored into operations.
“They need to start to dedicate some resources to cybersecurity, whether that’s working with a consultant to understand what they need to do or working with an IT organization that can give them that extra layer of security, I think it’s really important because even small companies can see pretty massive losses,” Brannon says.
David Shipley, the CEO of Beauceron Security and a cybersecurity expert, says Canadian businesses spend about $7 billion per year on…
