Canada’s Top Cyber Cops Help Businesses Navigate SolarWinds Hack

RCMP, Toronto Police C3 Look Toward 2021 Cybersecurity Trends, Alongside Expert Panels Covering AI, Defense-In-Depth, and the Current Threat Landscape


TORONTO, Jan. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Connectors, representing the largest cybersecurity community in North America, continues its industry-leading series of Virtual Summits, as the first major cybersecurity event in Canada for 2021.

The 2021 Canada-East Virtual Cybersecurity Summit will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, January 20-21, and is slated to allow the local community of cybersecurity professionals to gain insights and education regarding the latest updates and challenges in the industry, despite the continued effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

Headlining this two-day summit are three keynotes, from the heart of the nation’s cybersecurity law enforcement operation. Detective Constable Kenrick Bagnall of the Toronto Police Service’s Coordinated Cyber Centre, Director General Chris Lynam of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Cyber Crime Coordination (C3) Unit, and guest keynote Victoria Granova, President of the (ISC)² Toronto Chapter Board.

“It’s already a particularly interesting year, especially when you look at the SolarWinds supply chain compromise that’s having an impact on organizations around the world, but particularly in North America,” Bagnall said. “Our goal is to provide the support that our local community will need in order to stay secure and thrive in the given environment.”

The Summit will also feature industry expert presenters and virtual exhibits from cybersecurity solution providers, as well as live, topical expert panel discussions fielded by leading subject-matter experts. At the Summit, industry experts will dive into topics around identity and access management amid the rush to work from home in 2020, and the key trends on which Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) should most concern themselves in 2021 in panel discussions.

Data Connectors, which has conducted physical conferences since 1999, rapidly responded to the COVID-19 crisis, moving its full schedule of planned events online. The cybersecurity community has in turn responded to the opportunity: more than twice as many people have signed up for the virtual regional events than had registered to attend the previously scheduled in-person meetings.

The Virtual Summit will also feature a live, interactive panel discussion, with some of the top CISOs and CIOs from organizations throughout the provinces of Eastern Canada. This week’s panelists include:

  • Andrew Vezina - Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer for Equitable Bank
  • Tony English - VP IT Risk, Butterfield Group
  • Michael Ball - Chairman Of The Board for the International Association of Virtual CISOs
  • Robert L. Godbout -CDO/CIO of Canada School of Public Service
  • Rachel Guinto - AVP of Global Information Security Risk Management, Manulife

Attendees will ask questions and interact online with the CISOs, as well as each other and the organizations who will feature their solutions at the event. Featured solutions providers at this summit include Auth0, Attivo Networks, Ordr, Proofpoint, and many more.

The Summit will take place over two days, on Wednesday and Thursday, January 20-21, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Registration is free for qualified professionals, who can also obtain Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for participation.

Data Connectors Virtual Summits continue to focus on the local and regional requirements for cities and regions across North America, with upcoming Summits taking place for Detroit and Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Des Moines, Ohio, Boston, and Southern California, and more.

More information can be found at dataconnectors.com/attend.

About Data Connectors

Since 1999, Data Connectors (dataconnectors.com) has facilitated collaboration between senior cybersecurity professionals, government/law enforcement agencies, industry luminaries, and solution providers. Today, the community comprises over 650,000 members and 250 active vendor partners across North America. Members enjoy informative education, networking and support via our award-winning Virtual Summits, live conferences, Web Briefings, and regular communications.

Note to reporters: If you wish to attend these sessions at no charge, please contact Michael Hiskey, Chief Strategy Officer, at +1.636.778.9495, or info@dataconnectors.com