This article is part of BLG’s 12-part series: 12 Strategic Priorities for Privacy, Cybersecurity, and AI Risk Management. Each piece in this series provides a practical roadmap for Canadian corporations — helping management and boards take proactive steps to strengthen resilience, manage risk, and prepare for what’s next.
Cybersecurity incidents are no longer theoretical — they are a statistical certainty. For Canadian companies, readiness is your best cyber defence. The stakes are rising, and the response must be immediate, coordinated, and effective. The speed and precision of a company’s incident response can determine whether it suffers reputational damage, financial loss, or regulatory scrutiny — or emerges with trust intact.
Why it matters
Cyberattacks are growing in both sophistication and volume. Threat actors are targeting organizations across every sector. Ransomware, data exfiltration, and business email compromise are only a few of the tactics now regularly employed. In this environment, reactive responses are no longer viable.
From a legal and regulatory standpoint, breach reporting obligations have tightened across jurisdictions, particularly with Québec’s Law 25 and the broader federal framework.
Failing to meet disclosure deadlines — or to demonstrate preparedness — can expose an organization to investigations, fines, and litigation.
What management and boards must prioritize
- Board-approved and -tested incident response plan
The plan should not remain theoretical. It must be reviewed regularly, tested through tabletop exercises, and approved at the board level. Gaps need to be identified before a real crisis unfolds. - Trained executive leadership
Executives must understand their roles in a breach scenario. Crisis management training — including for the C-suite — is essential to ensure that decision-making under pressure proves aligned and effective. - Clear regulatory notification pathways
Organizations must understand whom to notify, by when, and how. This includes privacy regulators, industry-specific organizations, employees, customers, investors, and potentially law enforcement. Internal coordination between legal, privacy, IT, and risk teams is critical. - Board-level engagement
The board must actively oversee and understand incident response preparedness. This includes reviewing response exercises, understanding key vulnerabilities, and holding management accountable for readiness.
Final thoughts
Cybersecurity resilience begins before a breach occurs. Boards and executives must collaborate, plan, and practise — because the moment you need to respond is not the time to prepare.
