Cybersecurity Solutions for Canadian Transportation Networks

Ransomware and OT threats in Canadian transportation and logistics

• Ransomware targeting transportation management systems (TMS) creates an outsized operational impact compared to most enterprise IT systems because TMS platforms sit at the intersection of every operational function: order management, dispatch, route optimization, carrier selection, proof of delivery, and billing.
• A trucking company or 3PL that loses access to its TMS cannot dispatch drivers, confirm deliveries, or invoice customers.
• The 2021 ransomware attack on TNT Express and the ongoing wave of attacks against North American freight operators illustrate that transportation companies are high-value targets precisely because their operational dependency on software translates directly to financial pressure to pay.
• Canadian trucking companies, which collectively move about 90% of Canada's consumer goods and a significant share of cross-border trade with the United States, represent critical infrastructure whose disruption has cascading supply chain consequences.
• GPS spoofing, the transmission of false GPS signals to override legitimate satellite navigation, is a growing operational security threat for both road freight and maritime transportation in Canada.
• Vessels navigating in Arctic waters, the St.
• Lawrence Seaway, or port approaches have reported GPS anomalies consistent with spoofing.
• For road freight, GPS spoofing can redirect fleet tracking systems to show vehicles at locations where they are not, enabling cargo theft by creating false delivery confirmations or disrupting theft detection systems.
• Beyond cargo theft enablement, GPS spoofing of safety-critical navigation systems on vessels creates collision and grounding risk.
• Transport Canada's cyber security guidelines for marine transportation acknowledge GPS signal integrity as a security concern, and the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Resolution MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3 on maritime cyber risk management specifically identifies navigation system integrity as a risk area.
• Cargo manifest and shipment tracking data is commercially sensitive information whose exposure directly enables theft.
• Detailed manifest data identifies high-value shipments by content, origin, destination, routing, and delivery window.
• A threat actor who gains access to a 3PL's shipment tracking system can identify which trucks are carrying pharmaceuticals, electronics, or other high-value cargo and coordinate physical theft with precise operational knowledge of where and when the cargo will be most vulnerable.
• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) requires advance cargo reporting for cross-border shipments under the Customs Act and the Pre-arrival Review System (PARS).
• This data, held by customs brokers and freight forwarders, is highly sensitive and subject to PIPEDA where it includes personal information about importers and recipients.
• A breach of CBSA advance cargo reporting data creates regulatory exposure and potential duty to notify affected shippers.
• Phishing targeting dispatch and operations staff is the most common initial access vector for attacks on transportation companies, and it works because dispatch personnel operate under time pressure with high email volumes from a large number of external counterparties, carriers, brokers, customers, and government agencies.
• A convincing phishing email impersonating a carrier with a load confirmation or a CBSA notification is difficult to distinguish from legitimate traffic when a dispatcher is processing dozens of transactions per hour.
• Canadian transportation companies that have invested in security awareness training specific to the dispatch and operations environment, including simulated phishing campaigns that reflect the actual documents and email formats these staff receive, see materially better detection rates than those relying on generic security awareness programs.
• Multi-factor authentication on TMS and email accounts is the single most effective technical control for this threat vector.

Four layers of transportation cybersecurity compliance