Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Steve Waterhouse and I am a lecturer in the master's level microprogram in information security, prevention component, at the Université de Sherbrooke. I am a former information security officer at the Department of National Defence. I am also a former assistant deputy minister of information security and cyber security at Quebec's ministère de la Cybersécurité et du Numérique, and an expert witness in cyber security.
Thank you for the invitation to share insights on some of the problematics that are viewed, anticipated and perceived by fellow citizens on unwanted interference by foreign actors towards our democratic process.
The committee has had an opportunity in recent weeks to hear various witnesses to explain why the subject of this study is important in relation to our evolving society.
You will have understood that in these modern times, the use of digital tools and media is unavoidable, not to say indispensable, for conducting these influence operations.
In the 20th century, radio, newspapers, television, cinema, and even religious authorities, who once had a major presence in our societies, allowed for a form of validation of the message before it was disseminated, and this ensured that there was oversight.
As a result of the evolution of technologies and means of communication such has never before been seen in history, we have ways to get everywhere on the planet in a few milliseconds, with no filter and no oversight.
We are also facing fundamental, counterintuitive changes: that our society can be influenced using novel, subtle methods and strategies, and concepts like lawfare, media or public opinion warfare, psychological warfare, and cognitive warfare, which itself is reflected in...