CADSI Cyber Council

Championing Canada’s Cyber and Digital Defence Industry

CADSI’s Cyber Council is the forum through which the association engages with its cyber and digital members. The Council provides ongoing feedback on CADSI’s activities and research efforts in the cyber-defence domain, as well as offering input as the association works to form closer links between home-grown industry and government.

Committee Mandate & Purpose

The Cyber Council provides strategic guidance to CADSI on all matters related to cyber and digital advocacy, policy, and programming.

Members identify issues facing Canada’s cyber and digital firms, helping shape positions, initiatives, and events that support national digital resilience and defence.

Historical Context

The Cyber Council was established in 2019 to fill a critical gap—no national association was representing the needs of cyber and digital firms focused specifically on Canada’s defence and national security environment.

Since then, the Council has become a trusted advisory body, ensuring that Canada’s growing cyber industry has a seat at the table when it comes to policy development, procurement, and capability building.

Member Expectations

Cyber Council members are senior representatives from across the defence, cybersecurity, and digital innovation sectors. They contribute strategic insight and operational experience to help CADSI:

Identify and communicate challenges facing cyber and digital firms seeking to work with federal departments, national security agencies, and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
Inform CADSI’s cyber policy positions and advocacy priorities
Provide feedback on emerging technologies, workforce development, and digital transformation across Canada’s defence ecosystem
Military personnel operating an unmanned ground vehicle during a cybersecurity and robotics demonstration.Professionals seated around a conference table with laptops discussing digital defence strategy.Group of CADSI Cyber Council members standing together and smiling during a meeting break.Soldier wearing a VR headset and uniform participating in a cyber defence training simulation.

Industry Collaboration & Joint Initiatives

The Cyber Council works closely with key federal partners to promote innovation, policy alignment, and cyber readiness across the defence and security landscape.
Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF): Joint engagement on cyber capability development, operational resilience, and digital transformation initiatives.
Communications Security Establishment (CSE): Collaboration on national cybersecurity awareness and industry engagement.
Public Safety Canada: Consultation on cyber resilience and incident response coordination within critical infrastructure sectors.
Shared Services Canada (SSC): Ongoing dialogue on procurement processes, cloud modernization, and secure digital infrastructure.

Committee Operations & Leadership

Everything you need to know about how committee operations work.

Meeting Details
Frequency: Quarterly (2 hours each) or as needed
Format: virtual via Microsoft Teams
Conducts forward agenda planning each September to set annual priorities
Forms ad-hoc sub-working groups as needed to address emerging issues or opportunities
Committee Composition
12–17 members representing CADSI corporate member companies
Drawn from across Canada’s cybersecurity, digital defence, and emerging technology sectors
Inclusive of expertise spanning operations, automation, cloud, AI, and space domains
Balanced representation from both large industry primes and small-to-medium enterprises
Member responsibilities
Members are expected to:
Actively participate in quarterly meetings and working groups
Share intelligence on cyber trends, challenges, and opportunities
Provide input on CADSI’s advocacy positions and event programming
Represent the collective interests of Canada’s cyber and digital defence community

Join the Cyber Council

Interested in Cyber Council Participation?

Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for membership, candidates must:
Hold an active CADSI corporate membership in good standing
Represent a company engaged in cybersecurity, digital defence, or adjacent technologies
Be a senior leader or subject-matter expert within their organization
Note: Independent consultants are not eligible for nomination
Application Process
Nominations open: June each year
Nomination requirement: Must be nominated by an existing committee member
Selection: Determined by majority vote of current members
Term: Three years (shorter terms may be considered as needed)
New member start: September
Application Timeline
June

Nomination period opens

August

Applications close

August - September

Review and selection process

Late September

New council members begin participation

Interested in cyber council participation?
To learn more about current opportunities or the nomination process, contact:
Marc Watters
Senior Policy Advisor (Cyber), Government Relations and Communications

Current Cyber Priorities

Key focus areas the Cyber Council is actively addressing in 2025

Critical Infrastructure Cyber Resilience
ongoing

Advocating for improved financing options and capital access programs specifically designed for defence SMBs pursuing innovation and growth opportunities

AI & Emerging Technology Integration
Active consultations

Advocating for responsible AI adoption in defence operations, quantum-resistant cryptography implementation, and emerging technology governance frameworks

Cyber Industrial Base Development
Policy Development Phase

Supporting growth of Canada's domestic cyber capabilities, advocating for cyber procurement streamlining, and promoting international cybersecurity collaboration

Committee Impact by the Numbers

45
Technical Assessments Provided to Government
$
2.8
B
Cyber Defence Investments Influenced
150
Cyber Threat Briefings Delivered
92
%
Council Recommendations Incorporated into CADSI Policy