Cybercrime is increasingly posing a threat to Canadians, and the government appears to be taking notice. The 2018 federal budget proposed just over $1 billion in spending over five years for programs expressly concerned with fighting cyber security. Over $200 million is booked for each year following.
Among the largest proposed expenses is for a new National Cyber Security Strategy, as well as for the creation of a Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
In 2016 there were almost 24,000 instances of police-reported cybercrime in Canada, an increase of 58 per cent from 2014, according to an analysis of data retrieved from Statistics Canada.
The latest available data shows an increase of 34 per cent in police-reported cybercrime from 2015-16. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 252-0096.A sizeable portion of the funds listed in the budget is earmarked for the RCMP to create a National Cybercrime Coordination Unit. In line with the RCMP’s 2015 strategy, the unit will act as a hub for all investigations.
The RCMP will be looking to crack down on fraud, the most common cybercrime offence in Canada by a wide margin. In 2016, it accounted for nearly half of all violations with more than 11,000 reported incidents. In 2012, when the total reported cybercrime was roughly one third of 2016 levels, fraud also topped the list with nearly 5,000 instances.
Brantford, Ont. had the highest cybercrime rate of any Canadian city in 2016, with 293 reported incidents per 100,000 people. Gatineau saw an increase of 84 per cent from 2015 to 2016, the largest cybercrime spike among the top 20 listed cities.
A map of the 20 Canadian cities with the highest cybercrime rates in 2016. Half of the cities that made the list are from Ontario. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 252-0096.