From gold and diamonds to zinc and rare earths, mining operations across Canada—especially in the North—face a rising operational risk: cyber disruption. As IT and OT systems converge, attackers are exploiting new vulnerabilities in remote and high-value sites. CasCom secures Canadian mining firms with cybersecurity-first IT services built for rugged environments.
Cyber Risk Has Hit the Mine Site
Mining is now considered critical infrastructure—a high-volume, low-margin industry with global competition and outsized economic impact if disrupted.
Whether you’re operating in the Yukon, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories—or anywhere across Canada—your mining infrastructure is now a cyber target. Analysts expect more than 60% of mining operations will experience a targeted cyberattack this year.
Key drivers:
- Automation and remote access increase exposure
- IT/OT convergence blurs the line between digital and physical systems
- Aged infrastructure often can’t withstand modern threats
- Geopolitical actors see mining as a strategic vulnerability
CasCom threat intelligence confirms a sharp rise in incidents targeting Canadian mining since 2023.
What Happens When Mining Gets Hit
The economic impact of cyberattacks on mining operations is severe and far-reaching.
Recent industry data shows:
- 70% of mining firms report losses over $100K per breach
- 43% have faced ransom demands above $1M
- Downtime, lost contracts, and safety risks are common outcomes
Most successful attacks exploit third-party suppliers—underscoring the need for supplier risk management, security assessments, and clear controls.
Beyond Critical Minerals
Lithium and rare earths are top geopolitical targets, but every mineral extraction site is at risk. Whether diamonds in Nunavut, gold in the Yukon, or zinc in the NWT, attackers see value in disruption.
CasCom recommends mining firms start with worst-case planning—defining what a major cyberattack would look like and engineering resilience backward from that scenario.
Cybersecurity Is Good Engineering
Cybersecurity is no longer a cost sink—it’s how modern mining operates. Best practice requires:
- Security by design for all new technology deployments
- Continuous training for all employees, not just IT staff
- Practice and improve through regular incident response drills
- Collaboration and information sharing across the sector
CasCom helps clients align with NIST/ITSG guidelines and apply the five phases of cybersecurity to operations.
CasCom: Built for Canadian Mining
CasCom delivers a mining-focused cybersecurity approach that includes:
- Cross-Trained Teams – IT, OT, and cyber fluency
- Zero Trust Architecture – MFA, segmentation, least privilege access
- Supplier Risk Controls – Assessments and remediation for third-party vendors
- Operational Safety Integration – Embedding cyber into physical safety frameworks
- Critical Asset Focus – Protecting what matters most to operations
The CasCom Advantage
We’ve secured mining firms across Canada’s toughest environments. Clients trust us to:
- Stop ransomware before it halts production
- Protect OT and SCADA systems from disruption
- Safeguard supply chains that support energy and infrastructure
Cybersecurity is not optional. It’s about resilience, safety, and continuity.
Ready to Fortify Your Dig?
Don’t wait for an incident. CasCom recommends every mining organization complete a Cyber Security Risk Assessment (CSRA) to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen defenses, and ensure rapid recovery.
