The Big Story What the CBSA outages say about Canada's neglect of IT
Nov 17, 2025
David Shipley, CEO of Beauceron Security and a cybersecurity expert, tackles the critical issues surrounding Canadian Border Services Agency's recent outages. He discusses how outdated 'legacy systems' are jeopardizing national security and hampering efficiency. Shipley reveals the economic toll of these incidents on trade and travel, stressing the need for urgent tech upgrades. He warns of complacency as a major threat to Canada and advocates for transparency and reform in addressing cybersecurity challenges. It's a wake-up call for Ottawa!
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Kiosks Hide Deeper Infrastructure Risks
- CBSA kiosks speed up processing but rely on complex connectivity to central databases.
- David Shipley warns failures reveal aging infrastructure, not necessarily cyberattacks.
Legacy Systems Are Hard To Replace
- "Legacy systems" can be decades old and hard to update because human expertise retires.
- Replacing always-on government systems is like upgrading a plane while it's flying, which is extremely difficult.
Pandemic Revealed Hidden Programmer Shortage
- Shipley recounts pandemic-era struggles finding programmers to update legacy systems.
- He notes many experts retired or left, making emergency updates nearly miraculous then and harder now.