Survey of .CA domain holders highlights security challenges for Canadian businesses

OTTAWA, March 22, 2018 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) released its 2018 Canadian Internet Security Survey which provides an overview of the Canadian cybersecurity landscape.

In late 2017, CIRA reached out to .CA registrants who identified as either businesses or institutions (this includes non-for-profits and government) to ask them about their cybersecurity concerns, challenges, and awareness. Nearly 2,000 responses from the Canadian business community helped provide insight into the threat landscape in Canada to determine where the challenges are, what gaps exist, and how businesses are coping.

Read the complete 2018 Canadian Internet Security Survey.

Key facts

• 32 per cent report their users had unwittingly divulged sensitive information due to phishing tactics.
• 77 per cent of small business domain owners report being either concerned or very concerned about being the victim of an attack.
• In the last year, 19 per cent of companies report being hit by ransomware.
• 22 per cent of large organizations have been victimized by a DDoS attack in the past 12 months.
• 36 per cent of individual domain holders report spending nothing on cybersecurity protection in 2017.

Executive quotes
We believe the foundation of a better online Canada is ensuring a safe and secure internet. CIRA plays a role in ensuring that Canadian internet users have the tools and infrastructure in place to protect themselves, their businesses, and their families online.

– Jacques Latour, chief technology officer, CIRA

The cybersecurity threat landscape in Canada is complex and rapidly evolving. Our data shows that cybersecurity is no longer just a corporate IT problem, it impacts a wide spectrum of Canadian internet users. At CIRA, we are focused on education and developing simple solutions to provide Canadian businesses and institutions with the tools and information they need to protect their networks. We built D-Zone DNS Firewall specifically with these challenges in mind.

– Dave Chiswell, VP of product development, CIRA

Additional resources

• CIRA Information Technology blog
• Canada's Internet Factbook 2017
• CIRA Cybersecurity Resource Center

About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services—such as D-Zone DNS Firewall—that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions.

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

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