KnowledgeShare – A new approach to fighting cyberfraud

Media Advisory
November 3, 2022
Prevent cybercrime through community collaboration: project partnership formed between Durham Regional Police, Town of Ajax, Victim Services of Durham Region, and KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation
Canadians have reported over $360 million dollars lost to cyberfraud to date in 2022, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Given the vast under-reporting of cyber fraud it is estimated that the actual losses are closer to $7 billion dollars. In Ontario, there was a 38% increase in cybercrime at the height of the pandemic.

Funded in part by Ontario’s Safer and Vital Communities Grant, KnowledgeShare will combine forces for a decisive response to cybercrime. The initiative will leverage collaboration with key community stakeholders through a partnership between KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation, Durham Regional Police, Victim Services of Durham Region, and the Town of Ajax. To combat these staggering statistics, KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation is proud to announce Project KnowledgeShare.

“Watching out for email typos and sketchy links is a thing of the past. Organized criminals are targeting the most vulnerable members of our society. Project KnowledgeShare is the best way we can all fight back”, said Claudiu Popa, author of the Canadian Cyberfraud Handbook and KnowledgeFlow Co-Founder.

Mayor of Ajax, Shaun Collier added, “Project KnowledgeShare aligns with the Region of Durham’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan to reduce victimization and increase awareness about the risk of cybercrimes. Right here in Ajax, we’ve taken a renewed look at cybersecurity for our organization and are pleased to support initiatives to ensure residents of Ajax continue to stay safe online themselves. We look forward to working with our partners of DRPS, Victim Services of Durham Region and KnowledgeFlow to support the residents of Ajax and Durham Region.” “Having recently partnered with KnowledgeFlow on National CyberDay for students across Canada, we are excited about this new opportunity to engage with Durham Region residents through community events and information sharing sessions” commented Detective Constable Taryn Snow of Durham Regional Police Cyber Crime Unit.

Executive Director of Victim Services of Durham Region, Krista MacNeil remarked, “KnowledgeShare will provide resources for supporting cybercrime victims to prevent re-victimization and of course aims to decrease victimization in the first place. We are excited to work with the project team to address this growing issue in our community.” KnowledgeFlow Co-Founder, Paige Backman concluded, “Because all of the project resources will be available online, Project KnowledgeShare can reach Canadians from coast to coast to coast which aligns with our goal to make all Canadians #UnHackable.”

About the Foundation:
The KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation is a federally incorporated non-profit organization with a mission to make the world #UnHackable. KnowledgeFlow empowers vulnerable communities, including youth, seniors, and new Canadians with access to expert cybersafety instruction and resources regardless of their location or financial status.

Contacts:
KnowledgeFlow.org
Media@KnowledgeFlow.org

Co-Founders
Claudiu Popa CISSP CIPP PMP CISA CRISC
KnowledgeFlow Co-Founder
Claudiu@KnowledgeFlow.org
ClaudiuPopa.ca
416-431-9012

Paige Backman
KnowledgeFlow Co-Founder
Partner Aird & Berlis LLP and Chair of Privacy & Data Security Group
Paige@KnowledgeFlow.org
AirdBerlis.com