The federal government has confirmed its backing of the Privacy, Security and Trust Cybersecurity Summit 2026 that took place on August 20 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The government invested a non-repayable amount of $50,000 in the event, at which industry, government, academia and student representatives convened to address cybersecurity research, artificial intelligence and security applications. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency provided the funds through its Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
The summit highlighted New Brunswick’s cybersecurity research and innovation work. Attendees shared knowledge and networked as well.
“Fredericton has earned a strong reputation as a centre of excellence for cybersecurity research and innovation. The PST Cybersecurity Summit 2026 brought together experts, researchers, businesses and students to share knowledge and build relationships that support the continued growth of this important sector in our community and across Atlantic Canada,” said David Myles, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister and member of parliament for Fredericton—Oromocto, in a statement.
Justice minister Sean Fraser added that cybersecurity investments would bolster the nation’s economy.
“By supporting the PST Cybersecurity Summit 2026, we are helping bring together experts from across sectors to share knowledge, advance research and strengthen Canada’s growing cybersecurity ecosystem,” he said.
The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity at the University of New Brunswick and the PST Network hosted the cybersecurity summit.
“CIC’s annual Cybersecurity Summit brought together leading experts to explore how cybersecurity and AI are reshaping our digital future. Strengthening Canada’s capabilities in these areas is essential to our national security, economic prosperity, and global competitiveness,” said Ali Ghorbani, CIC’s director.
The CIC is a recognized cybersecurity research centre in Canada. The PST Cybersecurity Summit 2026 precedes PST 2026, held in Ottawa and including cybersecurity-centered academic and technical presentations.
A report released by EY Canada last year flagged phishing attempts like business email compromise, ransomware-as-a-service, state-sponsored threat actors, supply chain attacks, data violations from third-party vendor compromise, Internet of Things environment threats focused on digital infrastructure-reliant organizations, DDoS attacks, and deepfake schemes as the biggest cybersecurity threats faced by Canadian organizations.
KPMG in Canada partner Myriam Duguay also warned businesses to approach new suppliers with care in light of the tariff situation with the US last year.