CIRA report: Canadian organizations seek homegrown cybersecurity solutions amid sovereignty concerns

AI-amplified cyber threats also a top concern of cybersecurity professionals

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the federal government prioritizes a Canadian sovereign cloud, Canadian cybersecurity professionals are also prioritizing made-in-Canada cybersecurity solutions.

New data from CIRA’s 2025 Cybersecurity Survey reveals that geopolitical risks are shaping vendor selection. Eighty-two per cent of experts say a country of origin has become more important when choosing cybersecurity providers, and just over half (56 per cent) have reconsidered U.S. vendors due to trade and political uncertainty.

“As Canada moves toward building sovereign digital infrastructure, our survey shows businesses are already looking for sovereign solutions that can help keep their organizations and data safe,” said Jon Ferguson, Vice-president, Cybersecurity & DNS, CIRA. “With so much uncertainty in global markets, cybersecurity pros want trusted Canadian partners to help reduce exposure to instability and emerging cyber risks around the world.”

The full findings are featured in this year’s survey report.

Key findings

Geopolitics reshape vendor choices: 82 per cent now say a country of origin has become more important in selecting vendors, and 56 per cent have already reconsidered their use of U.S.-based providers due to political uncertainty.
Training lags while threats escalate: nearly all organizations (98 per cent) conduct cybersecurity awareness training, but the frequency has remained unchanged since 2022-2023 even as threat actors grow more sophisticated and hostile.
Paying ransomware is the new norm: one in four Canadian organizations (24 per cent) were victims of ransomware in the past year. Among them, 74 per cent had data exfiltrated and 74 per cent paid a ransom, typically $25,000 or more.
Data breaches have surged: 42 per cent of organizations reported a breach of customer or employee data in 2025, up from 29 per cent in 2022.
Generative AI is both adopted and feared: almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of organizations have integrated AI tools into workflows and operations (up from 44 per cent in 2023), yet 70 per cent are worried about AI-enabled cyber attacks, privacy breaches, data poisoning and advanced phishing.

Additional resources

2025 CIRA Cybersecurity Survey executive summary and resource centre.
Full survey results (PDF)

About CIRA

CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada’s internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA advocates for Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet.

Media contact
Delphine Avomo Evouna
613.315.1458
delphine.avomoevouna@cira.ca

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