About
Canada’s national security landscape is currently shaped by a variety of complex global and domestic challenges. Digitally enabled threats take aim at precious resources — our data, our economy and our research — and the fundamentals of our democracy. Hostile states rob our prosperity and bend the truth, and as more of our economy is digitally enabled it is capable of being digitally disabled. Natural hazards from climate change and the globalized spread of serious infectious diseases threaten livelihoods and lives across the country. The rules-based international order is under threat, while malicious actors are intensifying their efforts against us through disinformation, influence campaigns and cyberattacks.
Given the rise of new and evolving threats, Canada must urgently reassess its national security framework. This program aims to identify particularly severe or novel threats that necessitate changes in policy or practice. It focuses on pinpointing genuine national security concerns and recommends effective measures to address the most critical gaps. The program advocates for optimizing existing tools and enhancing collaboration among key stakeholders. It underscores the need for governments to have the foresight to address national security beyond the immediate news cycle or upcoming elections, and to invest in long-term solutions that will safeguard Canadians both now and in the future.