Operation: Defend The North 2025 (Ottawa)

Join us for breakfast and start your day off right!

Kick off "Defend the North" with an exciting overview of our mission and prepare for a dynamic cyber defence simulation.

A sophisticated cyber attack on Ottawa’s critical water infrastructure wreaks havoc on the city’s water supply. This module focuses on the initial stages of investigation as the team works to identify the attack vector, assess vulnerabilities, and establish secure communication channels. Given the magnitude of the attack, impacting the capital’s core services, the team must operate under intense pressure—mitigating public panic, misinformation and ensuring that critical water supply functions are restored while investigating the breach.

Recharge with a tasty snack break!

As the attack intensifies, severe disruptions to the water purification and distribution systems put public health at risk. This module focuses on isolating the compromised systems and preventing the spread of the attack to other critical infrastructure. Teams will work to identify all related vulnerabilities and take immediate action to ensure that essential services can continue, minimizing public health risks.

Refuel and re-energize with a warm lunch!

With critical systems already disrupted, the immediate focus shifts to eradicating the cyber threat and restoring operations. This module will tackle the challenge of eliminating active threats from the water facility’s network, restoring essential systems, and ensuring the water supply is safe. Connectivity across key systems must be re-established to prevent cascading failures and protect public health.

Recharge with a tasty snack break!

After the immediate threat is neutralized, evaluating the incident response becomes vital. This module focuses on reviewing the actions taken during the attack and developing strategies for long-term recovery. Sponsors will showcase solutions that help improve the effectiveness of crisis management, disaster recovery, and public relations efforts to restore normalcy and trust in critical infrastructure.

Take a moment to stretch and breathe deep!

In the final session, a thorough analysis of the cyber attack will be conducted, highlighting lessons learned and areas for improvement. Sponsors will present post-incident analysis tools and strategic insights for enhancing future resilience. Emphasizing the importance of cross-sector collaboration, the session will focus on building long-term cybersecurity strategies to prevent future attacks on critical infrastructure.