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Navigating the Challenging Landscape of Cybersecurity Compliance in Canada

Led by industry experts in cybersecurity, this panel discussion will provide insights into navigating the current and future landscape of cybersecurity compliance in Canada.

The cybersecurity landscape in Canada can sometimes be difficult to follow. This panel hopes to add expert advice on how your organization can navigate a critical path while maximizing benefits.

Topics discussed:

  • Current Compliance Trends Globally
  • Maintaining Market access in Canada and abroad
  • Standards Reciprocity in Canada
  • Where to start your compliance journey

We are pleased to announce this panel will showcase some of today’s thought leaders on cybersecurity compliance in Canada and around the world.

Register for DEFSEC Atlantic 2022 to attend this great panel discussion!

Contact info@ac-ada.ca to learn about available panel sponsorship opportunities.

Panelist bios

Erle Higgins: ISED Canada

Erle Higgins is the technical manager for the Canadian government’s CyberSecure Canada program; a voluntary cyber certification program aimed at increasing cyber resiliency in Small and Medium organisation. Erle joined the government in 2001 having obtained a Masters of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Dalhousie University.  During his time working within the federal government, Erle has moved through a variety of positions and projects throughout his career that he now brings to the challenge of ensuring that the CyberSecure Canada program finds the right balance to help all organisations, regardless in size, increase their cyber security awareness and posture.

Al Dillon: Sapper Labs

Allen Dillon, (Al) is well known in the security community in Canada/US, as both a former military officer of the Canadian Forces and a seasoned hi tech innovator in industry.  He is a 4th generation decorated soldier with entrepreneurial spirit. Al’s experience includes the development of advanced electronic warfare assets, intelligence systems and cyberwarfare capabilities for use on the battlefield and in the global security community.  In industry, Al’s contribution to innovation for the defence, security and aerospace industries earned him the 2013 CDR Defence and Security Executive of the Year in Canada.  In 2015, he led a team cooperating with a US national security agency to expose and capture the leaders of an international state sponsored media fraud ring, guilty of stealing at least $350M annually.  In 2016, Al founded CyberNB, the only Canadian Provincial Special Operating Agency dedicated to cybersecurity protection frameworks in Canada.  He is a active member of the Cyber Committee in the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), contributing to policy advice on cyber standards, procurement and Canadian cyber innovation.   Al is Co-Founder and CEO of Sapper Labs Group, a proudly Canadian SMB dedicated to unique national intelligence and active cyber defence requirements of Canada’s military, security organizations and energy operators, as well as supporting our 5VEYs community and close Allies.

Alkarim Amlani General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada

Alkarim Amlani is Director of Cyber Programs for General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada.

Mr. Amlani has profit and loss oversight for General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada’s growing Cyber business unit. This responsibility includes the delivery of existing cyber programs to Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) while providing oversight and leadership around various business development and opportunity pursuits related to emerging cyber operations programs in Canada and select international markets.

Prior to this role, Mr. Amlani held various senior leadership roles within the company, including Program Director for the flagship Engineering and Integration contract supporting the Canadian Army’s tactical operational network as well as Director of Information Technology (IT). Mr. Amlani has experience as a Program Manager in designing and delivering various embedded real-time products into the U.S. Army Stryker Vehicles and has served as the Software and Systems Engineering Manager where he lead General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada in achieving its first Software Engineering CMM Level 3 and Systems Engineering CMMI Level 3 maturity rating

Mr. Amlani has over 30 years of engineering and senior leadership experience with both Nortel Networks and General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, having joined the latter in 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. He is also a designated Project Management Professional (PMP) and a licensed professional engineer within the province of Ontario.