Canada’s cybersecurity plan targets aging tech in remote work environments

TLDR:

• Canadian government released first-ever cybersecurity strategy addressing challenges posed by remote work, aging infrastructure, and recruitment
• Strategy aims to make working from home more secure through expanding multifactor authentication and introducing always-on protections against malware and viruses

Canadian government released its first-ever cybersecurity strategy on Wednesday, with the aim of addressing challenges posed by remote work, cloud computing, aging infrastructure, and recruitment. The strategy identified that government departments and agencies lacked “repeatable” processes to identify and respond to new and emerging cyber threats. As many government employees switched to remote work during the pandemic, using their home networks, the strategy aims to make working from home more secure by expanding multifactor authentication and introducing always-on protections against malware and viruses. The government also plans to create a security operations center to monitor network-connected devices and address vulnerabilities caused by aging infrastructure. Furthermore, the strategy aims to address the recruitment challenge by creating partnerships with colleges and universities, accelerating hiring through automation, and training employees from other departments to work in cybersecurity. The government expects to see results within two to five years, with the ability to quickly respond to cybersecurity incidents and minimize their impacts.