Uploaded February 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Cybersecurity is a major topic when it comes to modern elections. With Canada probably going to the polls in the fall, discussion is heating up about the potential impact of cybersecurity this election cycle.
The good news? Canada's election infrastructure is well protected. The challenge will be with various political parties and their campaigns as well as the influence of social media and the players there.
In this episode, we break down the top two cybersecurity issues facing the campaigns themselves and what they can do about it.
References:
- the CSE report on electoral process security, cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/cyber-threats-canadas-democratic-process/page2
- the Chief Electoral Officer's concerns about political party and campaign cybersecurity. cbc.ca/news/politics/electoral-officer-parties-cybersecurity-1.5006055
- the new election monitoring team at the federal level, cbc.ca/news/politics/election-interference-panel-1.4998409
// MWM Y2 no. 011
Cybersecurity is a major topic when it comes to modern elections. With Canada probably going to the polls in the fall, discussion is heating up about the potential impact of cybersecurity this election cycle.
The good news? Canada's election infrastructure is well protected. The challenge will be with various political parties and their campaigns as well as the influence of social media and the players there.
In this episode, we break down the top two cybersecurity issues facing the campaigns themselves and what they can do about it.
References:
- the CSE report on electoral process security, cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/cyber-threats-canadas-democratic-process/page2
- the Chief Electoral Officer's concerns about political party and campaign cybersecurity. cbc.ca/news/politics/electoral-officer-parties-cybersecurity-1.5006055
- the new election monitoring team at the federal level, cbc.ca/news/politics/election-interference-panel-1.4998409
// MWM Y2 no. 011
![Passwords suck. Can you do anything about it? A cybersecurity expert weighs in
Passwords are the worst. Trying to pick a secure one makes the whole thing worse. Every site and service has its own variation on the rules for making a strong password and its hard to remember what youve set your password to.
Are those rules really making our passwords stronger? Do we need so many different passwords? Is it even possible to keep track of all of these passwords?
How to cybercriminals attack your passwords? What do hackers do with the passwords they gain access to? What are cybersecurity defenders doing to help?
In this episode, well try to tackle these questions and more. At the end, youll get some straight forward actionable advice that can help you make handling passwords a little bit easier while actually increasing your security.
Index:
- Intro [00:00]
- Authentication & Authorization [00:21]
- NordPass report [00:59]
- Old school thinking [02:47]
- How cybercriminals attack [04:57]
- New password recommendations [07:46]
- Biometrics? [10:45]
- Password managers [11:25]
- One thing for 2021 [13:01]
References;
- Standardized guidelines on passwords from NIST via Security Boulevard, https://securityboulevard.com/2019/03/nist-800-63-password-guidelines/
- An example of rainbow tables, https://project-rainbowcrack.com/table.htm
- A discussion of the show password UX by LukeW, https://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1941
- XKCDs famous passphrase comic, https://xkcd.com/936/
- Wired on the 5 best password managers, https://www.wired.com/story/best-password-managers/ Passwords suck. Can you do anything about it? A cybersecurity expert weighs in](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SznETaoVXoM/mqdefault.jpg)

![Can Robinhood stop people from buying or selling specific stocks? #shorts
Huh? Why is a cybersecurity expert weighing in on the whole Robinhood/GME thing? Well its a great example of technology risk.
The Robinhood platform is guided by its terms of service...like every other platform. Understanding that document is key to knowing your rights as a user and what to expect from the service.
This short takes a quick look at this situation.
Index
- The question [0:00]
- Terms of service [0:10]
- Sample term [0:25]
- The end result [0:40]
#shorts Can Robinhood stop people from buying or selling specific stocks? #shorts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UaghG7_4rTg/mqdefault.jpg)


![Can CD Projekt Red Recover From a Cyberattack? #shorts
CD Projekt Red continues to struggle in the wake of a large cyberattack. Theyve delayed a much needed patch for the epic failure that is Cyberpunk 2077.
We dont often talk about how hard it is to recovery after the hackers are done with your organization.
In this short, we start that discussion...
Index:
- The question [0:00]
- Patch delayed [0:03]
- Hidden recovery [0:20]
- Two reasons [0:26]
#shorts Can CD Projekt Red Recover From a Cyberattack? #shorts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UspjPRNmdyw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Is Apple tracking every app you use? A cybersecurity expert weighs in
Apple recently launched macOS Big Sur and a cybersecurity researchers post vent viral highlighting a steady stream of communications that phone home detailing what apps youre using on your system. Whats going on here?
Is privacy promoting Apple actually spying on every app running on every macOS system around the world? Or is something much less sinister going on...something that might even help us?
In this episode, we dive in to see whats really going on.
Index:
- Intro [00:00]
- Big Sur launches [00:11]
- Is Apple spying on you? [01:32]
- macOS Gatekeeper [02:19]
- Apples control [04:22]
- Privacy impacts [04:53]
- iCloud risks [06:49]
- Blocking Gatekeep [07:46]
- The impact [08:32]
References:
- macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers from Apple Support, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211238
- macOS Big Sur launch appears to cause temporary slowdown in even non-Big Sur Macs by Ars Technica, https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/macos-big-sur-launch-appears-to-cause-temporary-slowdown-in-even-non-big-sur-macs/
- Your Computer Isnt Yours, a security research post by Jeffrey Paul, https://sneak.berlin/20201112/your-computer-isnt-yours/
- OCSP or Online Certificate Status Protocol via Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_Certificate_Status_Protocol
- Apple service endpoints, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210060
- Safely open apps on your Mac, more on Gatekeeper from Apple Support, https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202491
- Gatekeeper and its history via Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatekeeper_(macOS)
- Apple Developer Program, https://developer.apple.com/programs/
- Notarization via the Apple Developer Documentation, https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/notarizing_macos_software_before_distribution
- iCloud Security Overview from Apple Support, https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202303 Is Apple tracking every app you use? A cybersecurity expert weighs in](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VUhhZEzdXME/mqdefault.jpg)



