Operation: Defend the North 2026 (Toronto)

Participants check in and form interdisciplinary teams. Event facilitators will guide registrants to color-coded tables representing municipal, healthcare, and financial roles. Breakfast networking includes introductions from industry partners and government observers.

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

TTC delays, hospital lockouts, and mobile banking errors cascade citywide. Logs begin to reveal zero-click exploits spreading through shared vendor infrastructure. Participants analyze indicators of compromise, detect patterns of systemic failure, and establish the first incident command structure.

Recharge with a tasty snack break!

AI-generated videos claim political resignations, explosions, and emergency shutdowns. Public confidence falters. Teams must separate truth from falsehood while managing a parallel digital and psychological war.

Live technology demos from SOC, MDR, and AI defense vendors. Featuring product walk-throughs, case studies, and tabletop intelligence tips from national cybersecurity experts.

Ransomware cripples financial systems while regulators initiate emergency liquidity protocols. Teams must simulate containment of financial data systems, prioritize decryption workflows, and prepare cross-sector escalation briefings.

Recharge with a tasty snack break!

HydroCore engineers activate manual overrides while MSP teams isolate compromised consoles. Participants make high-pressure containment decisions balancing operational safety with data preservation.

Take a moment to stretch and breathe deep!

A full debrief and cross-sector analysis of the citywide simulation. Discussion on coordination gaps, AI-driven misinformation handling, and how crisis communication strategies evolve in the face of hybrid threats.