From November 12–14, 2024, over 350 industry leaders, researchers and policymakers gathered in Banff for Cyber Summit 2024. This sold-out event, hosted by Cybera, SRNET and MRnet, provided a high-level exploration of the evolution of cyber culture and its influence on modern education and workspaces. The presentations and discussions reflected on past milestones, while also forecasting the next wave of digital transformation in Western Canada.
The Summit opened with a humorous and insightful talk by Brittlestar (Stewart Reynolds), a veteran content creator. He examined society’s tendency to blame technology for its woes. Reynolds dug into the evolving relationship between social media, AI and human behaviour, leaving Summit delegates both entertained and reflective.
On Day Two, Jason Scott, an internet archive historian, took attendees on a fascinating journey through digital preservation in his session, Everything is Going Great Except for the Burning. With wit and urgency, Scott’s talk stressed the importance of protecting our online archives and history, ensuring that digital knowledge remains accessible in the future.
Towards the end of the Summit, we were delighted to host Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, the Honourable Nate Glubish for a fireside chat with Cybera President and CEO Barb Carra. Glubish and Carra discussed the province’s ambitions in AI, 5G and quantum computing, and how the “Alberta Advantage” could position the region as a leader in digital innovation through the establishment of more local data centres. Cybersecurity, research protection and intellectual property security were key points in this engaging chat.
Throughout the event, multiple breakout sessions highlighted the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration in tackling cyber threats. CyberAlberta’s Rachel Hayward presented strategies for strengthening Alberta’s cybersecurity ecosystem through partnerships between government, private enterprise and academia. Others emphasized the importance of a unified approach in securing public and education sector networks. The role of AI in reshaping education and the workforce was another recurring theme — Katina Papulkas explored how AI is being integrated into Alberta’s classrooms to personalize learning, while also raising new ethical concerns. Meanwhile, one of the pre-Summit workshops led by the University of Alberta’s Donald Ashdown and Dema Gorkun (and Cybera’s cybersecurity director, Kevin Paul) examined AI-driven cyber threats, showing real-world examples of how AI can both attack and defend digital infrastructures.
With increased focus on data rights, Kyle Napier led an important discussion on Indigenous data sovereignty, highlighting legal frameworks that protect Indigenous intellectual property in the digital space. Other sessions touched on the broader landscape of data ownership, reinforcing the importance of ethical governance in an increasingly connected world.
A major workforce transformation is underway, with millennials and Gen Z now dominating key tech roles. Fauna Rice examined how cybersecurity training programs must adapt to the learning styles and work expectations of younger generations. The discussion reinforced the importance of mentorship and new training methodologies to bridge skill gaps in cybersecurity and IT professions.
In addition to the many thought-provoking discussions at this year’s Cyber Summit, the event also provided plenty of opportunities for fun and networking. Delegates put their “cyber” knowledge to the test during the Pub Quiz Night, a friendly but competitive event that had teams scrambling for the top spot. Meanwhile, the AI photo booth was a crowd favorite, generating creative (and sometimes hilarious) AI-enhanced portraits for attendees to take home.
With this year’s event drawing to a close, the focus now shifts to Cyber Summit 2025, set to take place from November 4–6, 2025, at Banff Park Lodge. Given the record-breaking attendance in 2024, another sold-out event is expected. Watch for more details.
A special thank you to our sponsors for making Cyber Summit 2024 possible:
Platinum: CIRA, CANARIE, Microserve, Dell Technologies, Zscaler, SentinelOne & ISA Cybersecurity
Gold: Lenovo, Palo Alto Networks, Veeam, Rubrik, ManageEngine, Abnormal Security & Netskope, CrowdStrike
Silver: Fortinet, University of Calgary Continuing Education, Pure Storage, WBM Technologies, Gartner, iON United, CDW Canada
Bronze: Softchoice, Arctic Wolf, Targus, ACSI, Extreme Networks, TOPdesk, AVI-SPL, Aruba Networks, Charter, Optiv, ESTI
Thank you to all attendees, speakers, and sponsors for an inspiring and impactful event. We look forward to connecting with you again in 2025!
View pictures from Cyber Summit 2024 here.
Learn more about the Cyber Summit at cybersummit.ca.