November 4, 2026

October was Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the Government of Canada’s 2026 theme, “Your best defence is you,” emphasizes the role each of us plays in protecting our digital environment. It is a valuable reminder, but for businesses there is a second message worth emphasizing: cybersecurity must be treated as part of operational resilience, not simply as a responsibility assigned to the IT department.

In Canada’s electrical and automation industry, digital technology connects manufacturers, distributors, manufacturer representatives, customers and service providers. These connections create tremendous opportunity. They can also allow a disruption in one organization to ripple outward—to production, order processing, deliveries, building systems or customer service.

As EFC’s Director of IT, Maryna Kalnoochenko recognizes that cybersecurity requires a combination of technology, people, leadership and preparedness. Her recent participation in the Mastercard Emerging Leaders Cyber Initiative has reinforced an important principle: organizations must look beyond preventing the next attack to understanding what could be disrupted, how quickly decisions need to be made, and how they can continue serving customers and partners.

A changing threat landscape – without losing sight of the basics

Artificial intelligence is making some familiar threats more convincing. A fraudulent email can imitate a supplier’s writing style; a voice message can appear to come from a trusted colleague; and a payment-change request may look routine. This makes independent verification especially important. If a message requests banking changes, confidential information or urgent access, confirm it through a known, separate contact method – not the phone number or link supplied in the message.

Ransomware and data theft also remain major concerns. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s Ransomware Threat Outlook 2025–2027 notes that ransomware may involve not only encryption, but also the theft of information and extortion. For an electrical industry business, that could mean interrupted order fulfillment, loss of access to technical documents, exposure of customer or pricing information, or prolonged recovery efforts.
The response is not to chase every new headline. It is to identify which threats matter to your own business, maintain visibility into your systems and critical suppliers, and prioritize protections that reduce the most meaningful risks.

When IT risk becomes operational risk

Connected facilities, industrial controls, intelligent buildings and automated equipment introduce another dimension of cybersecurity risk. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) highlights the importance of protecting operational technology (OT), which includes systems used to monitor and control physical processes. Unlike traditional IT incidents, cyberattacks affecting OT can have consequences beyond data loss or system downtime, potentially disrupting production, affecting equipment and worker safety, and interrupting essential services.

As Canada’s electrical industry becomes increasingly connected, organizations should understand which operational systems are connected, who can access them remotely, what dependencies exist between IT and OT, and what a safe interruption or recovery would require.

Consider a distributor that can no longer access its ordering system, or a manufacturer that temporarily loses a critical scheduling application. The problem quickly becomes a business question: Which customers need to be contacted? Can essential orders be processed manually? Who authorizes a return to normal operations? How do we verify that restored systems and data can be trusted?

These questions illustrate why business continuity and incident response should involve operational leaders, finance, communications and external service providers – not only technical specialists.

Five practical priorities for EFC members

Protect identities and payments. Use multi-factor authentication, strong unique passwords and a password manager. Verify unexpected payment, account or access requests using an established contact channel.
Know what matters most. Identify essential systems, information and processes – including connected equipment – and understand who is responsible for them.
Review third-party dependencies. Know which vendors and service providers can access your environment, what safeguards they use, and whom to contact if their service is disrupted.
Prepare and practise recovery. Maintain appropriate, tested backups and a straightforward incident-response and business-continuity plan. Walk through a realistic scenario with the people who would make decisions.
• Make reporting easy. Encourage employees to flag suspicious activity promptly, without fear of blame. Early reporting gives teams more time to contain a problem.

A stronger industry through shared learning

Not every EFC member has a dedicated cybersecurity team, and effective protection should not depend on an organization’s size. The starting point is to focus on the business processes that matter most, assign ownership and build a few reliable habits that can be sustained.

Cyber risks also cross organizational boundaries. Manufacturers, distributors, representatives, and service providers share business processes and digital connections. This makes collaboration a practical form of resilience. EFC’s IT Network creates opportunities for member professionals to exchange experiences, discuss emerging technologies, and learn from one another. Sharing lessons and asking better questions can help members strengthen their own preparedness and, in turn, the broader industry.

Cyber Security Awareness Month is an opportunity to revisit passwords, phishing, and safe online habits. It is also a chance for leadership teams to ask a more strategic question: If a key system or partner becomes unavailable tomorrow, would we know how to respond and keep the business moving? The strongest defence combines everyday awareness with preparation, sound decisions and a willingness to learn together.

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