Ontario’s Cyber Security Education and Centre of Excellence helps to educate Ontario government ministries and broader public sector organizations about cyber security and best practices to keep Ontarians’ information safe and secure.

We provide advice, guidance, information, and services to strengthen digital resilience across the province while meeting digital service delivery expectations.

This year, Ontario’s Cyber Security Education and Centre of Excellence launched its first ever #WhyCyber social media campaign in association with our 2022 Cyber Security Awareness Month and conference.

The #WhyCyber campaign amplified the theme of Ontario’s Cyber Security Awareness Month and conference, guiding members across the Ontario Public Service and Broader Public Sector to learn how to Manage Digital Risks and stay cyber secure.

As technology continues to evolve and grow, cyber security becomes increasingly important in our everyday lives.

The #WhyCyber campaign goal was to empower individuals and organizations to recognize and prevent digital threats.

Throughout the campaign, the Education and Centre of Excellence challenged leaders from across the cyber security space to share their cyber security stories and why cyber is so important to them.

The campaign had over 33 participants in the first year, including notable individuals such as:

The Honourable Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery

Isaac Straley, Chief Information Security officer of the University of Toronto

Robert Wong, Chair of Ontario’s Cyber Security Expert Panel and

John Roberts, Chief Privacy Officer & Archivist of Ontario

Rhonda Bunn, Chief Information Security Officer of the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery

Here are some of the reasons that cyber security is so important…

David Langille:

Cybersecurity is important to me because it impacts both assets of my life through the work that me and my team do to protect the data of Ontarians, and personally with the impact on my family and friends…

Julia Le:

Some of the brightest cyber security minds jump started their career without a computer science degree. Instead, they are armed with a curious mind, a passion for the subject, and a drive to change with the ability to easily adapt to new situations...

Graeme Abrahams:

I discovered I had an aptitude for understanding how workplace technology are used to enhance business, but also understanding how the wrongful use of that technology and data could be a threat to that business.

So, I had this combination of on one hand, an empathy to protect, and on the other, an attitude for understanding technology. And that combination fueled my passion for cybersecurity…

Ruby Tse:

My background is actually in business and marketing, so I had no technical background at all. But the best thing about cyber security is that you don't need to have a technical background in order to work in this field. And that's my #WhyCyber story.

We hope that you enjoyed our 2022 #WhyCyber campaign, and look forward to seeing you again in 2023!