Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.What would happen if a cyberattack suddenly shut down the Windsor-Detroit tunnel, leaving thousands of motorists stranded and disrupting one of North America’s busiest international borders?That’s the scenario cybersecurity experts will tackle Tuesday during Operation: Defend the North, a conference at St. Clair College designed to test how organizations and emergency responders would manage a major cyber crisis.The event, organized by St. Clair College and cybersecurity company siberX, will feature a live simulation involving business leaders, technology specialists and emergency management professionals.Amar Singh, St. Clair College’s chief information officer, said the international tunnel provides a particularly challenging scenario because of the number of agencies and jurisdictions involved.”You have two national, international entities that will have to be involved,” Singh said, pointing to different regulations, emergency protocols and law enforcement agencies on either side of the border.”This is why we do these exercises, right? To make sure that we are aligned and to understand where the gaps are.”Singh said an attack on the tunnel could have far-reaching consequences, including traffic gridlock, financial losses, missed flights and disruptions for cross-border workers.He warned that hackers aren’t necessarily interested in stealing information.”Sometimes that’s what they want. Chaos, right? That’s what the hacker or the threat actor wants is the chaos that they create.”Mahdi Raza, CEO of siberX, compared the conference’s tabletop exercise to a fire drill, allowing participants to practise their response before facing a real emergency.”It’s a simulation of a potential problem that could happen,” Raza said.”One of the most powerful parts of Operation Defend the North is the lessons learned,” he added, explaining that participants can take those lessons back to their organizations.300 expected in person, 3,000 onlineRaza said approximately 300 people are expected to attend in person, with another 3,000 watching online.Unlike many cybersecurity exercises conducted behind closed doors, the Windsor simulation will allow the public to observe how decisions are made during a crisis.The sign greeting arrivals to Canada at the mouth of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel. (Dalson Chen/CBC)The conference also comes as artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for cybersecurity professionals.Singh said AI is making phishing attacks increasingly sophisticated and difficult to recognize.”The attacks are getting more sophisticated, more complicated, more real. You don’t even know that they’re fake anymore, and that’s where the danger lies.”Cybersecurity ‘impacting everyone’Asked whether Windsor is prepared for such an attack, Singh said the city is probably as ready as any other, but organizations must continually reassess their defences.”Practice makes perfect, right? If you want to play a sport, you have to continuously practice. Same thing with a cyber incident.”Raza said cybersecurity is no longer exclusively a concern for technology professionals because virtually everyone uses connected devices and shares personal information online.”Cybersecurity is becoming one of those words that now are affecting and impacting everyone.”The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Dr. W.
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