Natalie Bravo is an IPilogue Writer and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

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Do you ever get weird emails that are poorly-veiled attempts? Strange requests for payments? These phishing attempts are occurring more frequently, but they are just the tip of the ransomware iceberg. Cybersecurity breaches are a serious concern and the ever-evolving technological landscape is an endless playing field for dedicated malicious actors. Widespread breaches exemplify the need to updated software and security policies across all sectors which use online services. With the pandemic and many working from home, these attacks are on the rise. The Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity reported that ransomware is an and

Many Canadians have not heard of , a malicious software (“â€�) that attacks computers by user files so that malicious actors can request monetary ransom to decrypt or unlock the files. These are typically, though not always, carried out by an unauthorized or unknown transfer of a Users may download and/or open a file that appears legitimate and unknowingly infect the operating system with malware. Accompanying ransom demands are usually requested in the form of Bitcoin due to the presumed anonymity of the transactions. The use of Bitcoin is rampant in these types of attacks – so much so that they have impacted (“K³Û°äâ€�) . Sometimes hackers . In a recent report, McCarthy Tétrault’s Cyber/Data Group estimated that Canadian organizations . Ransomware attacks damaging more than finances as they can disrupt operations and corrupt or destroy sensitive data. During the pandemic, hospitals are of utmost concern. The click of an ad, a visit to a website, or a simple file download could risk your data.

In 2017, a high-profile ransomware attack named devastated various organizations worldwide. The automatically spread throughout networkers and did not require users to open or download any files. It encrypted user files and demanded Bitcoin ransom payments to decrypt them. WannaCry targeted “end of lifeâ€� or outdated versions of and exploited certain vulnerabilities within the software. Operating systems must frequently be updated to implement security patches that prevent such exploits. However, updates for older computers are usually discontinued as technology progresses. Microsoft quickly released further following the mass attack. The international event was and reported to have impacted more than 200,000 computer systems and caused an estimated hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in damage. The WannaCry attack affected organizations such as factories, telecommunication companies, hospitals, governments, and delivery systems. Years later, Ìı

WannaCry was terrifying when it happened, but many more concerning high-profile cybersecurity attacks have occurred Ìıwithin the past year . Just imagine . Some alarming events in the past three months include the following:

• In May 2021, the largest petroleum pipeline in the United States, Colonial Pipeline is reported to have been hacked via a . The password had access to the company’s internal network and was also unfortunately leaked on the dark web. The hackers utilized the credential to attack and extort Colonial Pipeline. The systems started to shut down and the ransom demanded was $4.4 million in payment. The company stated they had no choice but to
• In June 2021, one of the largest meat producers in the US, JBS made the difficult decision to pay the $11 million USD ransom in Bitcoin to resume plant operations.
• On July 4^th, 2021, the ‘,’ allegedly conducted by Russian-associated hackers REvil, hit during the US holiday weekend. Kaseya, a software firm, was targeted in the . Supply-chain attacks, in brief terms, involve compromising a trusted supplier therefore sabotaging the distribution system. The Kaseya attack largely affected US businesses, but Canada was also impacted. Between 800 and 1,500 organizations across the globe were impacted and essentially paralyzed. They demanded from affected users/companies and expressed some willingness to .

It is difficult to know what will happen next with technology, computers, and software. It is best to be proactive and cautious. I have compiled some tips, supported by and the , to help keep your data and your employer’s networks safe:

• Check your computer(s) for updates frequently, and make sure your operating system is still receiving new updates.
• Back up your data periodically and preferably offline. If you are targeted and your data becomes inaccessible, you will feel so much better knowing you had a back-up or two handy.
• Make sure you are running a trusted anti-virus program, sometimes they are installed on your computer.
• Understand how to your data in the event of a breach and practice the recovery methods.
• Keep your passwords safe and unique - reusing passwords is never a good idea.
• Familiarize yourself with common types and methods of malware. You can find a handy list .
• Contact your organization’s IT department whenever you see anything suspicious, just in case.

Stay safe, don’t interact with strange emails, and always update and backup if possible! Feel free to comment below any tips or advice you may have.

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Canadian telecommunications giant Research in Motion (RIM), which manufacturers the popular BlackBerry, has reportedly offered information and tools to assist India’s government in monitoring encrypted emails and messaging services ().ÌıÌıIndia, which had threatened to shut down the BlackBerry service, is the latest country to pursue access to user communications from RIM.Ìı Recently the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also threatened to ban BlackBerry services unless RIM provides access to user data ().

The threat by foreign governments to ban BlackBerry services poses a serious danger to RIM.Ìı Competitors in North America continue to eat away at RIM’s once dominating grasp on the smart-phone market, and RIM wishes to expand in the global marketplace to further develop its customer base.Ìı The reported that during the last fiscal year, 37 per cent of RIM's $15 billion in revenue came from outside North America, up from 23 per cent about five years ago.Ìı The demand for security concessions from countries such as India may threaten to erode RIM’s customer base as smart-phone manufacturers Nokia and Apple have already lined up to move into this market.Ìı

RIM, unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, controls its own networks, which handle encrypted messages through centres in Canada and the UK.Ìı Should BlackBerry service be restricted in India, Nokia and Apple would easily snatch up RIM’s market share. This is because Nokia and Apple rely on local telecommunications infrastructure to transmit their data allowing easy government oversight.Ìı As a result Nokia and Apple would not be subject to a similar ban, as proposed by the Indian government against RIM.Ìı

India has suffered deadly attacks, by both home grown and foreign militants, with some regularity for years. Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in the 2008 Mumbai attack, told an Indian court that he and his comrades all had Nokia mobile phones ().Ìı India and other foreign governments are seeking access to encrypted Blackberry communication that could be used to coordinate national security threats.ÌıÌı Ìı

In response, RIM has assured its customers ‘that it genuinely tries to be as cooperative as possible with governments in the spirit of supporting legal and national security requirements’ ().Ìı ÌıRIM stated that a foreign government’s access to BlackBerry communications should not be boundless, and ‘lawful’ access be limited by four principles.Ìı First, that access be restricted to the context of national security requirements as governed by the country's judicial oversight and rules of law.Ìı Second, government access to BlackBerry services should be no greater than regulators already impose on RIM’s competitors and other similar communications technology companies.Ìı Third, no changes will be made to the BlackBerry’s security architecture and finally that RIM will maintain a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries.

RIM and other companies will likely continue to work with foreign lawmakers in their respective countries to resolve national security concerns.Ìı However, in doing so RIM risks damaging an important aspect of its business, its reputation.

BlackBerry Messenger users have long enjoyed the secure end-to-end encryption methods used by RIM to scramble information sent from one RIM phone to another.Ìı However, as reported by the , RIM may have agreed to place a BlackBerry server inside Saudi Arabia and more recent reports indicate RIM may hand over the “codesâ€� to all local BlackBerrys to the Saudi government.ÌıProviding such information has drawn RIM into the ongoing debate of the morality and ethics of allowing foreign government access to communications that can be used to quell political dissent and imprison human rights advocates.Ìı The reported the comments of Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs: “These can be ruthless nasty regimes where political opposition or human rights advocates are imprisoned or worse. In colluding with them, [RIM is] assisting in that abrogation of human rights.â€�

Canada and the United States (U.S.) have aligned behind RIM against access to Blackberry communication, citing the need to defend consumer privacy and internet freedom ().Ìı The economic interests of Canada and U.S. are also at stake, which may have instigated the strong response by these countries against the proposed BlackBerry bans.Ìı Patrick Leblond, an expert on international economic integration and government-business relations at the University of Ottawa summarized Canada’s position “It is good business for the Canadian government to stand up for RIM, since this is one of the world's leading technological companies, and ‘what is good for RIM is good for Canada.’â€�ÌıÌıÌı

RIM’s struggles with foreign governments to maintain its security systems and preserve its market share will likely expand to other forms of communication.Ìı Any concessions made by RIM may set a precedent for future negotiations between foreign governments and other communications companies.Ìı As reported by the , the Indian government is already considering a crackdown on Google and Skype to gain access to the information transmitted by these services. Moving forward, it will be interesting to observe the impact that RIM’s security negotiations will have on other communications based companies.

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