CISO Forum Canada 2021: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Threat Landscape
The EC-Council CISO Forum Canada 2021 convened top cybersecurity executives in an invite-only, strategic event to address the evolving threat environment, particularly as organizations adapted to the security challenges amplified by remote work and accelerating digital transformation. The forum was held at the siberXchange virtual event platform, facilitating crucial conversations among CISOs and industry thought leaders.
Core Themes and Highlights
Given the 2021 context, the forum likely focused on several critical, timely themes:
Cloud and Identity Security:
With digital transformation a major focus, sessions featuring experts like Melissa Carvalho (RBC) and Kevin Magee (Microsoft Canada) likely concentrated on securing decentralized environments, advanced identity management, and the cloud threat surface.
Executive Risk and Resilience:
The central role of the CISO in driving business continuity was emphasized, with discussions on risk tolerance, board communication, and cyber resilience, featuring leaders such as Andrew Vezina (Equitable Bank) and Ireen Birungi (Interac).
Privacy, Compliance, and Governance:
The increasing regulatory scrutiny on data meant strong focus on governance and risk, with key contributions from specialists like Cat Coode (Binary Tattoo) and Mary Konstantinidis (Allstate).
Venue, Speakers, and Sponsors
The event’s success was powered by a diverse lineup of Canadian and international security experts and a comprehensive list of industry sponsors.
Venue:
The 2021 event was strategically held virtually on the siberXchange platform, ensuring a safe and accessible environment for high-level discussion despite global restrictions.
Speakers:
The extensive speaker roster featured a wealth of executive experience across diverse Canadian sectors. Notable speakers included:
Abbas Kudrati (Chief Cybersecurity Advisor at Microsoft)
Adriana Gliga-Belavic (MNP Digital)
CISOs from major Canadian corporations, including Ragulan Sinnarajah (Sobeys), Salman Ashraf (Manitoba Public Insurance), and Maggie Calle (Varicent).
Public sector perspectives were provided by figures like Sherry Rumbolt (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat). The depth of expertise ensured discussions were highly relevant, practical, and forward-looking.
Sponsors:
The forum enjoyed massive support from an exhaustive list of technology vendors, service providers, and regional partners. Key sponsors included global technology leaders like AWS, BELL, IBM, JUNIPER NETWORKS, MNP, and VEEAM. Specialized security vendors such as PROOFPOINT, TENABLE, RECORDED FUTURE, and ZSCALER demonstrated the breadth of solution offerings. Furthermore, the forum highlighted regional commitment to cyber security through partnerships with organizations like the Durham REGION, the Town of Ajax, and ISACA Toronto Chapter.
YouTube Playlist
Related video content, including event highlights and session recordings, can be explored further on the organizer’s YouTube channel playlists. The official link for related content is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SkA44T8ovo&list=PLmPGnrZ2SYxbV6knEKB4pp6z_tFn3SYde.
