This piece was first featured in Canadian Affairs on April 8, 2026.
Underinvestment in Canada’s digital infrastructure is undermining law enforcement’s abilities and public safety
Digital risk in Canadian law enforcement is no longer a niche concern. It is an urgent national issue.
Canadian cybersecurity events such as the 2017 Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) outage, the 2020 BlueLeaks incident and multiple ransomware attacks on municipal police services demonstrate a clear trend: the digital backbone of policing is increasingly targeted and fragile.
When police systems fail, frontline officer safety is jeopardized, investigations stall, intelligence sharing weakens, court proceedings are delayed and public trust erodes.
Canada cannot maintain effective law enforcement without treating its digital infrastructure as essential to national security and resilience.
Canada must invest in its digital infrastructure and talent to avoid future crises.
The federal agency Public Safety Canada defines critical infrastructure as the essential systems, technologies and processes that support the health, safety, security and economic well‑being of Canadians, as well as the functioning of government. Law enforcement falls squarely within this mandate, both as frontline public safety and as a core pillar of stable governance.
Police services protect critical infrastructure and respond to emergencies, and are often the first people at a crime scene. Yet, they increasingly rely on digital systems that may in turn be vulnerable.
Law enforcement faces deliberate, accidental and natural threats, similar to those faced by other critical infrastructure sectors.
Protecting policing as critical infrastructure means safeguarding its workforce, resources and especially the digital systems now embedded in nearly all operational functions.
Three pillars define digital infrastructure in policing:
- Criminal deterrence and investigation: systems for case management and intelligence management, analysis, evidence handling, covert operations and disruption of criminal networks.
- Administration and operations: platforms for operational management, communications, compliance, scheduling, training and performance.
- Protection and defence of digital systems: cybersecurity ensuring systems, software, data and devices remain secure against threats.
While dedicated personnel work in each of these three areas, the talent gap is severe. The issue is structural, not motivational.
Fragmentation is also an issue. Every jurisdiction uses different tools and systems across a wide range of functions. This patchwork approach increases costs, complicates training, inhibits interoperability and expands the digital attack surface.
Canada’s tech sector has demonstrated world‑class capabilities in banking, health care and telecommunications. Yet barriers in law enforcement procurement rules make it difficult for domestic innovators to participate. As a result, Canadian‑made solutions remain uncommon.
Offshore tools may be cheaper, but introduce risks tied to supply chains, data jurisdiction, system reliability and privacy. In an era of geopolitical instability, digital sovereignty is a strategic necessity.
If law enforcement is truly critical infrastructure, we must invest in it as such. That means a coordinated national strategy to strengthen Canada’s digital backbone — expanding non-traditional talent pipelines, including trained civilians and special constables to reinforce law enforcement’s digital capabilities.
It also means building a unified, interoperable digital architecture across jurisdictions and prioritizing Canadian systems to safeguard data and strengthen digital sovereignty.
Finally, we must clear a path for Canadian innovators by reforming risk-averse procurement processes. Public safety in the digital age demands bold investment and the courage to modernize.
Digital systems are no longer back‑office tools; they are critical operational infrastructure. Treating them as anything less leaves Canada exposed.