Cybersecurity Is the New Infrastructure: CCN Report Finds Digital Trust Now Determines Who Gets to Compete

TORONTO, April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Canadian Cybersecurity Network (CCN) today released a new CCN Insights report, Cybersecurity Is the New Infrastructure: Why Digital Trust Now Determines Who Gets to Compete, highlighting a fundamental shift in how businesses access markets, secure insurance, and participate in the digital economy.

The report is being unveiled at the NetDiligence Cyber Risk Summit in Toronto, where leaders in insurance, legal, and cybersecurity are examining the evolving cyber risk landscape.

The findings point to a clear reality. Cybersecurity is no longer a back-office function. It has become core business infrastructure, determining whether organizations can operate, scale, and participate in the market.

Across industries, cyber maturity is now tied to market access. Supply chains are enforcing security requirements. Insurers are tightening underwriting standards. Regulators are expanding expectations. Organizations that cannot demonstrate credible cybersecurity practices are increasingly facing contract barriers, limited insurance options, and exclusion from key opportunities.

Francois Guay, CEO of the Canadian Cybersecurity Network, said: "We are entering a market where cybersecurity is no longer just about defending systems. It is about earning the right to participate. Companies that cannot demonstrate digital trust will not just face risk. They will be excluded from supply chains, denied insurance, and shut out of growth. Cybersecurity has become the infrastructure of modern commerce, and trust is now the currency that determines who gets to compete."

The report identifies five forces driving this shift: supply chain enforcement, cyber insurance underwriting, regulatory expansion, the digitization of critical infrastructure, and the increasing ability to measure digital trust.

Legal and insurance signals are reinforcing this transformation. Imran Ahmad, Partner and Head of Technology and Co-Chair of Cybersecurity and Data Privacy at Norton Rose Fulbright, said: "Legal readiness is now a condition of participation in the digital economy. Organizations that cannot demonstrate cyber preparedness and defensible governance are being locked out of contracts, insurance, and regulated markets."

Patrick Bourk, Vice President at Navacord, added: "In a new age of digital trust being a form of critical infrastructure, cyber liability insurance is playing an important role. Insurers are no longer just pricing cyber risk; they are defining who is a responsible risk. Organizations that cannot demonstrate foundational controls like multi factor authentication, incident response readiness, and recovery capabilities are increasingly facing higher premiums, restricted coverage, or exclusion from market participation altogether. Insurers have become an efficient form of network security auditor."

The report outlines a model across three layers: digital foundation, operational trust and resilience, and identity and trust intelligence. Cybersecurity now spans all three, making it central to both continuity and competitive positioning. Organizations with higher cyber maturity are better positioned to secure contracts, obtain insurance, and expand into new markets.

For Canadian businesses, the implications are immediate.

Cybersecurity is no longer about managing risk. It is about enabling growth. Organizations that move early gain access to opportunities others cannot bid on, while those that delay face increasing constraints.

The report concludes that Canada can lead in the digital economy by aligning innovation, cybersecurity, and collaboration, but success depends on recognizing cybersecurity as foundational infrastructure.

You can access the report here.

About the Canadian Cybersecurity Network
The Canadian Cybersecurity Network is evolving into Canada's Digital Trust Signal, a convenor, connector, and collaborator across industry, government, and academia. It turns real world signals into actionable intelligence, helping organizations understand where they stand and what is required to compete in a trust driven market.

Media Contact
Francois Guay
Canadian Cybersecurity Network
236 983 7300

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SOURCE Canadian Cybersecurity Network