Guide to protection from cybersecurity risks in Canada

When the entire world was shut down, the digital world was afloat and how. But at the same time, some malicious acts were being warranted by suspicious scammers all across the world. The risks in Canada, however, catapulted into another epidemic of some kind.

Basically, scammers and hackers were in full swing during the COVID-19 pandemic as they continued to exploit victims by tricking them into falling prey to malware scams. This was done viciously via phishing campaigns and compromised credentials. Of course, other methods were also optimized, resulting in havoc on the digital space.

It’s one thing to suggest that cybercrime was at an all-time high during the pandemic and a completely different story when you look at the facts. Did you know that roughly 57% of Canadians have reported falling prey to cybercrime activity during the first year of the pandemic?

These schemes were malicious to another level and led to all sorts of disruptive outputs for individuals as well as businesses and organizations. The most common victims were the health sector because it was not only under the spotlight at the time but also under tremendous amounts of pressure.

If only, Canadians had used at the time, the problem wouldn’t be as big as it turned out to be in the end. VPNs are the best tool to protect yourself against online threats. However, those who’re running low on budget can get free VPNs to secure your privacy in Canada by VPNRanks.

Mind you, free VPN services might not work the same way as the premium ones. They may lack security features, server infrastructure, or limit you with bandwidth cap or whatnot. If you want to way have limitless security without any compromises, we always suggest premium VPNs.

But if you still opt for a free VPN service, make sure to get it from a trusted source, as mentioned above. In this article, we will discuss how Canadians can protect themselves from such cybercrime activities and run their operations online smoothly.

The 3 Most Common Types of Cyberattacks on Canadians

When you get to start studying the world of cybercrime and digital intricacies, you’ll come to the realization that cyberattacks are extremely complex and difficult to pull off. They are also the most common form of criminal activity in the current day of digital supremacy.

Once you understand that, you’ll be interested in knowing the most common types of cyberattacks that were being targeted at Canadians during the pandemic. Well, we have explained all three for you below.

Health Sector – Brutal Ranson Attacks

As we said earlier, the pandemic was a rough period for Canada as its digital space was a constant target of cybercrime activity. Now, the health sector took a massive beating as it was being targetted for ransomware regularly. In fact, these attacks were elevated to new heights, and honestly new lows, when they held patient medical records and medical research. The attempts were made to hijack operating devices and steal information to commit fraud on hospitals, labs, and clinical funding.

Relief Payments Were Stolen

GCKey is an online portal local to the Canadian Government that the hackers targeted to steal all the relief payments transferred through the credentials stuffing. Wondering how these attacks occur so easily? Well, there’s always a loophole in the system that these hackers find out so efficiently. These hackers opted for stolen usernames and passcodes that were made available on a variety of websites.

This information was then used to find the email accounts, and tracking was done via similar log-in credentials. This was made possible since these websites don’t seek the two-factor authentication key.

This is exactly why online privacy should be taught in school. There are so many ways you could at least increase your privacy online and protect yourself from compromising and vulnerable situations. If only people understand the importance of using fake email addresses while surfing third-party websites or shopping online.

And if only, these sites conducted two-factor authentication models, such advances would never be made in the world of hacking and malware.

Fake COVID-19 Tracing Apps

Now this one was not done without planning due to the sophisticated nature of the malware. This was obviously a massive ransomware threat that played with the sensitivity of the situation and the vulnerability of the victims at the time. People were obviously tricked into believing that there was an app that could help them trace whether or not they have been in contact with a person carrying the COVID-19 bodies.

It obviously worked because people ended up downloading it, which eventually encrypted their data and locked them out of their own devices. Now the only way they were given access to their device again was by paying the ransom.

Of course, these attacks are pre-planned and attack organizations targeting confidential data, funding, and much more. Thus, it’s best to practice protection and apply filters and security checkups regularly.

How to Increase Protection and Secure Yourself from Cybercrime?

Now that we’re made aware of the malicious activities that go down when we put our guard down, we’re prepared and enlightened enough to know that cybersecurity is a matter of priority. And so, here are some ways you can ensure utmost protection and safety online.

Backup Infrastructure

The most important method to implicate here is to have a backup infrastructure. This is extremely important for businesses and industries where information is power. If you have a backup infrastructure in place, you wouldn’t have to worry about paying ransom to gain back its access.

Subscribe To A VPN

By investing in a VPN, you can solve many issues simultaneously. The most crucial gift that a VPN offers is that of encryption and security. If you have subscribed to a premium VPN, no matter what you do online, your presence will be protected at all costs.

You may be tempted to use a free VPN service, but they don’t perform as efficiently as the premium ones. Besides, who are we to complain? We are not paying for it, or are we? Hence, your safest bet is to trust a legitimate and premium VPN service provider for robust and utmost security.

Keep Different Passwords

This is obviously one of those nerdy tips out there but an essential one at that. We touched bases with this tip earlier but it must be emphasized once again due to the level of significance it brings. If you have different passwords for different accounts online, it will be difficult to track your secured personal information and trap you into hacking or ransomware.

Two-Factor Authentication

Alway enable and activate the two-factor authentication method on your online accounts. This is a security measure that functions as a second layer of protection and gives you time to gain access back. This trick quickly notifies you if your account is ever vulnerable to threats.

In Conclusion

Online security is of utmost importance in this modern-day age. You’re constantly being threatened with extortion and ransomware and you must heighten your security measures to ensure safety. By following the tips mentioned above, you can upgrade your safety measures and potentially save yourself from embarrassment, anxiety, or any other difficult situation.

Todayville Content Team

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Todayville Content Team works with a wide variety of clients to develop compelling content solutions. Our experienced team develops strategic campaigns that use video and storytelling, digital advertising and social media to help our clients position and distinguish themselves in the market.

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The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

Published on March 28, 2025

Todayville Content Team

The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.

In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:

the draft dragged on for hours;
there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.

As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.

A small problem

There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.

For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.

Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.

More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.

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60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

Published on March 26, 2025

Todayville Content Team

When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.

Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.

Canada: a forever love of gambling

Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.

It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.

The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.

Alberta: following Ontario’s lead

The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.

The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.

What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?

Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.

Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.

The US

Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.

Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.

The UK

In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.

Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.