Experts Matter. Find Yours.

MEDIA RELEASE: CAA supports provincial efforts to move Ontarians more safely

CAA South Central Ontario supports today’s provincial announcement of the Moving Ontarians More Safely & Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021. The proposed legislation is an important step toward addressing the needs and challenges experienced by both motorists and the towing industry. “CAA is pleased that provincial legislation to govern the towing industry looks to address the most pressing issues related to safety and consumer confidence,” says Teresa Di Felice, AVP government and community relations, CAA SCO. “Provincial oversight should provide consistent levels of training for operators, create standards for this important service on Ontario roads and establish tough penalties for those who do not follow the rules.” One element highlighted in today’s announcement is the introduction of a tow truck licensing system. “CAA’s research on this demonstrates that motorists expect their tow operators to be provincially licensed and qualified to perform towing services safely,” adds Di Felice. The tougher enforcement measures for stunt driving are also welcome. Since the COVID-19 lockdown measures first began in March 2020, police have seen a significant surge in speeding and street racing—both of which can have serious consequences. “The dangerous driving behaviours that we have seen over the past year highlights the need for increased measures, education and enforcement. The proposed changes will help to continue making Ontario’s streets some of the safest in North America,” adds Di Felice. A study commission by CAA SCO in March highlighted that 74 per cent of drivers agree that stricter penalties and increased fines would discourage drivers from performing stunts or driving aggressively. CAA believes that safer streets for all Ontarians are possible. This new proposed legislation will not only bring clarity for consumers when requesting towing services, the tougher penalties for stunt driving will help to curb the impulse to speed or drive dangerously. The study was conducted between March 15th to 22nd, 2021, among a sample of 1,504 Ontario driver’s license (G, G2 or G1) holders, have access to a vehicle and are part of the Asking Canadians’ research panel. The study was conducted through online surveys. A probabilistic sample of a similar size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 3%, 19 times out of 20.

Hackers Exploit the Pandemic

Criminals are opportunists, and the COVID-19 global onslaught has brought with it not just health threats but cybersecurity risks, too. Within weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, hackers have already commandeered the virus to unleash cyberattacks, sending emails purporting to provide coronavirus guidance laced with cyberattack software. In one more alarming case, they appear to have attacked a hospital and forced it to cancel operations and take key systems offline. As the outbreak continues to intensify, the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that the volume of these attacks will likely increase, pointing to the increased registration of coronavirus-related webpages. Criminals are opportunists, and the COVID-19 global onslaught has brought with it not just health threats but cybersecurity risks, too. As companies move to protect the health of their workforce, it’s also important to protect the systems they’re using to run their businesses. It’s especially important for hospitals to shore-up their cyber defenses. If they don’t, just as they are racing to respond to COVID-19, they could face situations like University Hospital Brno in the Czech Republic, which earlier this month was forced to divert patients and cancel planned operations while it worked to address an attack. The most likely cyber threats are email “phishing” campaigns that use the coronavirus as a lure to get the recipient to open an attachment that contains malware. According to the NCSC, such “phishing” attempts are happening on a global scale in multiple countries, which has led to both a theft of money and sensitive data. Similarly, known hacker groups have been launching websites purporting to sell masks or other safety-related measures for coronavirus, possibly to use them as another vector for cyberattacks. The NCSC has also cautioned that these attacks are “versatile and can be conducted through various media, adapted to different sectors and monetized via multiple means, including ransomware, credential theft, bitcoin or fraud.” The cybersecurity firm ProofPoint has seen a rise in these cyberattack emails with COVID-19 themes since January. Both ProofPoint and IBM’s X-Force cybersecurity unit identified a campaign that targeted users in Japan with an email masquerading as a coronavirus information email that carries with it a potent type of cybercrime software. In the US, the Secret Service recently warned of scams from online criminals posing as sellers of high-demand medical supplies to prevent coronavirus. They’ll require payment upfront and not send the products. Cyber criminals have also been posing as the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sending fraudulent emails from the former and “creating domain names similar to the CDC’s web address to request passwords and even bitcoin donations to fund a vaccine” for the latter. In addition to the use of the coronavirus as a cyberattack vector, the growing need for working remotely to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 has increased companies’ exposure to cyber threats. The increase in remote work creates more opportunities for hackers to make inroads from less secure locations. Companies should also ensure they can provide adequate security when their whole workforce is remote. They should quickly work through the security implications of workers choosing to switch to insecure personal devices. With national-level pressures on home broadband, staff will also resort to mobile hotspots, which are often less secure. And enabling remote connectivity at scale, with the right security configurations, can be a challenge even with months of preparation time. A recent US Department of Homeland Security COVID-19 cybersecurity notice pointed to the importance of making sure that security measures are up to date for companies’ remote access systems. Additional measures to consider include enabling multifactor authentication—which can require two or more steps to verify a user’s identity before granting access to corporate networks. The NCSC is also working to identify malicious sites responsible for phishing and cyberattack software. A final looming cyberthreat related to Covid-19 is disinformation. The World Health Organization and other agencies have for months been combatting disinformation campaigns spreading false information about the origins of and treatments for COVID-19—reports that seed more confusion and increase risks to society. All of that means that computer virus risks are emerging as the biological virus spreads—and both are a threat to business. Cyber risk mitigation efforts should account for the different ways that a company can be affected, including impacts on the technical, operational, legal and reputational aspects of a business. Often, the reputational effects of a cyberattack are more significant than direct the business or technical impact. To mitigate all of the potential impacts of cyberattacks taking advantage of the Covid-19 outbreak, companies should: Review and update crisis and cybersecurity response plans, and ensure internal and external communications response plans are robust. Confirm that members of the crisis management team understand their roles and responsibilities. Make sure all communications channels have the latest security patches. Review and update access controls, particularly when remote access is used heavily, to make sure that only those who require access to sensitive systems to do their jobs have it. Take extra care when handling medical information. For companies managing employees who have contracted Covid-19, it’s important that personal health information is handled with strong security measures, including encryption. Educate employees about the cyber risks that may attempt to capitalize on fear of the Covid-19 virus—whether it be phishing email or disinformation. Covid-19 poses a number of short- and long-term challenges to business resilience, and the virus’s trajectory is quick and unpredictable. But it’s possible to anticipate and mitigate a number of the cyber threats that will try to ride the virus’s coattails. The companies that do will be more resilient and better positioned to withstand the direct health and operational effects of the virus.

MEDIA RELEASE: CAA supports Ontario government's focus to reform the towing industry

CAA South Central Ontario supports the Ontario government’s move to assemble a task force to review and reform the towing industry. Changes to the towing industry is something that CAA has been advocating for over a decade and the task force announced today is a strong step in the right direction. “There are a number of measures that will go a long way to restore motorist confidence and keep our roads safe across the province,” says Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president of government and community relations. “We would like to see a tow truck licensing system, clearer rules around consumer protection and the establishment of a body to oversee the industry.” CAA has been actively working with stakeholders and government officials towards provincial oversight of the towing industry. Provincial oversight would provide consistent levels of training for operators, ensure the vitality of an essential service on Ontario roads and established penalties for those that do not follow the rules. It would also ensure consumers would have certainty when it comes to their towing services, regardless of when or where they require support.   CAA is also advocating for the necessary regulation that would implement criminal background checks, discourage racing to accident scenes, charging consumers sky high towing bills, and fraud. “For years now the towing industry has been plagued with unscrupulous drivers who take advantage of consumers in their most stressful times of need. Regulating the industry would enhance consumer protection for motorists,” adds Di Felice.  

There’s no Tour de France for women; it’s time to address the inequity in professional cycling

Since the Passing of Title IX, there have been many improvements in accessibility for girls and women in sports. This trend has not been as strong for some sports, like competitive cycling. “We know that when we look at numbers for licensed riders in the U.S., 15% are women, and that means 85% of competitive cyclists are men,” said Erin Ayala, Ph.D. “Because races are generally run by private organizations, they don’t fall under the Title IX umbrella. It looks very different. They can say that because only 15%  of women are in the field, they think they don’t need to add more races so women can participate. This then creates concerns regarding skill development and safety while racing.”   As a cyclist who races nationally, Dr. Ayala can attest that women cyclists are treated very differently than men.   “I did a large national investigation on the experiences to find out what the factors are that affect participation for women in competitive cycling. A lot of women spoke of importance of creating an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. They'd say, 'If I have people on sidelines cheering me on, that means the world to me.'   “Another piece was that race promoters and directors sometimes combine women with master’s men, 50-60-year-old men, to help with field sizes, but that can create a toxic environment because women are racing with older men who may not want them to be there. Women are also paired with younger junior cyclists, which can feel condescending and patronizing because it results in shorter or easier races.   “In a lot of races women race shorter distances or durations than the men, which can feel insulting. There’s no Tour de France for Women. It’s a tough atmosphere. Then there are the podium girls, women in high heels and makeup whose job it is to stand next to the male racers to give them their prizes and a kiss on the cheek. The underlying assumption is those women are there to accessorize the male racers. It speaks to the gender dynamics in those sports.   “Things that decrease participation are unsupportive environments where women feel they do not belong, inequitable fields, and unequal prize pools; sometimes men are paid more money to win the same race as women. We have good hard data to talk about it. We need to do better, and one of biggest themes that came out of it was ‘Build it and we will come. Invest in us, and we will start to show up more often.’ We are hoping to create some change in communities and nationally to make more room for women in a sport that does not have many women. Are you a journalist covering this topic and looking to book an interview? That’s where we can help.   Dr. Erin Ayala is a licensed psychologist and core faculty member in the counseling psychology doctoral program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.  She is also an expert in the areas of women’s health and sports psychology. To book an interview with Dr. Ayala – simply click on her icon to arrange a time. Read more on Dr. Ayala's research:  https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2020-V12-I1-9912.