UCalgary students' research sheds light on controversial cybersecurity bills

As digital threats continue to evolve around the world, University of Calgary students are shaping the conversation on cybersecurity policy here in Canada. 

Earlier this year, Faculty of Law student Davinder More, BA’24, and Military, Security and Strategic Studies master’s student Tulika Bali, BA’21, presented their research at the RCMP’s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3), offering academic insight into the legal and national security implications of Bills C-2 and C-8.

More and Bali’s research into Bill C-2 (Strong Borders Act) and Bill C-8 (Cybersecurity Act) began this summer while working as research assistants in the Faculty of Law thanks to a grant of more than $900,000 from the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC).

Focusing on cybersecurity and national security law, they were supervised by, and worked closely with Dr. Michael Nesbitt, SJD, associate dean (research), as they took a deep dive into how Canada will approach cyber policy in the coming years.

Their research findings were later formally presented to faculty, graduate students and police officers over a one-hour lunch and learn. The presentation was so polished, professional and informative, says Nesbitt, that More and Bali were asked to turn it into two blog posts on ABlawg, a platform used by UCalgary Law researchers to comment on current legislative and policy developments.

Examining the impact

Their first article, “Bill C-2 and the Return of Warrantless Access: Same Fight, New Wrapper,” examines how Bill C-2 aims to tighten border security, immigration and criminal law. 

The bill introduces new surveillance powers, including warrantless access to subscriber data by police and intelligence agencies. 

The research from More and Bali warns that reintroduction of the “lawful access” agenda is a threat to fundamental privacy rights and undermines constitutional protections.

In their second article, “Securing the Infrastructure, Straining the Constitution? Bill C-8's Cybersecurity Overhaul,” More and Bali dive deeper into the flaws and oversights that exist in Bill C-8. 

That bill focuses on improving cybersecurity infrastructure in response to an increase in cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. While it represents a major advance in cybersecurity regulation, the researchers argue it lacks transparency, accountability and constitutional safeguards.

“Our goal wasn’t just to summarize the legislation; it was to critically examine the government’s first real attempts at building a legal framework for cybersecurity,” says More. 

“We scrutinized the bills in depth, identifying areas that lacked clarity, that raised constitutional questions or that risked falling short of international best practices.

“We wanted to produce research that challenged assumptions, invited discussion and pushed the policy conversation forward at a time when it truly matters.”  

Real-world application 

Nesbitt says the articles were so well written and researched that More and Bali were asked to present their work at the NC3.

“This was both a real honour for them and an amazing opportunity to showcase the hard work of these students,” Nesbitt says. 

“It also showcased the talent and quality of work happening in the cyber and security space at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law.

“There’s an ecosystem that seeks excellence in these areas, and, thanks to funding from our NCC grant, Dav and Tulika were able to show their excellence throughout the summer.”

From Bali’s point of view, that this research was presented to the NC3, is significant.

“The legislation is moving in a direction that aims to create greater efficiency and co-ordination within agencies like the RCMP, CSIS, CSE and more,” she says. 

“Enhancing the country’s ability to respond to cybersecurity and foreign interference threats is essential in this growing cyber landscape.”

Having the work of More and Bali recognized by the NC3 shows the importance of research positions within UCalgary and how they can play a critical role within the legal system at large.

The grant from the NCC, held by a number of professors within UCalgary Law and aimed at supporting teaching and learning in this area, was one of the first awards made under the program. It recognizes and supports the expertise and leadership of the faculty in national cybersecurity law in Canada.