Cyberattacks in Canada

Researched by Katherine Darby

Merriam-Webster defines a cyberattack as “an attempt to gain illegal access to a computer or computer system for the purpose of causing damage or harm” (Merriam-Webster). Cyberattacks have been on the rise in recent years for many Canadians, most being related to unknown solutions to evolving technology.

One of these types of evolving technologies is ransomware. Ransomware isn’t new; it’s been around since the early 2000s when cyberattacks started to become more prominent. Ransomware attacks were starting to become more prominent since they were established: “By one estimate, the average ransom paid in Canada in 2023 was $1.130 million CAD, an increase of almost 150% in two years. Open-source reporting reveals that these trends continued into the first half of 2024, with ransom payments and incidents on track to exceed numbers observed in 2023” (Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity). Also, since 2021, ransomware attacks have grown by almost 26% on average (Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity). Ransomware attacks are dangerous; they can cause massive financial loss as well, and take up resources from other forms of attacks.

Photo credit to stock.adobe.org

Aside from ransomware, however, cybersecurity as a service (CSaaS) is one of the most dangerous forms of cybercrime. CSaaS isn’t an attack, it is a business model within the world of cybersecurity: “With CaaS, specialised threat actors sell stolen and leaked data and ready-to-use malicious tools to other cybercriminals online, enabling their illicit activities” (Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity). These attacks are much more dangerous than typical mill-of-the-run attacks; they use genuine user data, which makes them more difficult to resolve. The data gets leaked and received in three different ways: online marketplaces, forums, and chat platforms (Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity). The issue with these modes of communication is that it is incredibly difficult and takes a lot of resources for federal governments to monitor the exchange of information, allowing it to be easily transferred. 

Canada is at major risk in the coming years of more and more cyberattacks if precautions aren’t put in place. Citizen information is being sold and used to create more attacks, and ransomware is at an all-time high. Without proper precautions, Canada will lose more and more money and put its citizens at risk if a more efficient response plan is not put in place.

Resources/References Used

“CYBERATTACK Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyberattack. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025. 

National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025–2026, Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, 2025, www.cyber.gc.ca/sites/default/files/national-cyber-threat-assessment-2025-2026-e.pdf.