Ryan Atkinson is Program Editor for Cyber Security and Information Warfare at the NATO Association of Canada. Ryan completed a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Toronto, where his Major Research Project focused on Russia’s utilization of information and cyber strategies during military operations in the war in Ukraine. He worked as a Research Assistant for a professor at the University of Toronto focusing on the local nature of Canadian electoral politics. He graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Toronto. Ryan conducted research for Political Science faculty that analyzed recruitment methods used by Canadian political parties. Ryan’s research interests include: Cyber Threat Intelligence, Information Security, Financial Vulnerability Management, Disinformation, Information Warfare, and NATO’s Role in Global Affairs.
Ryan Atkinson, Research Analyst at the NATO Association of Canada, recently sat down with Brigadier-General Jay Janzen to discuss the global threat of disinformation. The evermore pertinent problem of disinformation necessitates global action to prevent the further manipulation of information to polarize political discourse as has been witnessed in recent years. The Canadian Federal Election this October 2019 requires civil society and the public and private sectors to be prepared to face and prevent the influence of disinformation on the democratic electoral process.
In this article, Analyst and Editor Ryan Atkinson outlines the pervasive surveillance technologies used by the Gadhafi regime to spy on Libya’s population. Previously secret archives discovered after the fall of Tripoli in 2011 reveal the extent of the export of such technologies to the regime by foreign corporations.
In this special report, Ryan Atkinson outlines the problem disinformation poses to NATO, including an overview of the major steps member states are taking to counter the evolving threat.
Ryan Atkinson discusses the dangerous implications of future political influence operations, arguing that research must work to understand how current operations will incorporate advancing technologies.
In this article, Ryan Atkinson discusses the danger of electoral interference exemplified by Presidential Elections in Ukraine and the United States.
What should veterans expect from the 2017 Federal Budget?
Amid recent U.S. and North Korean military posturings on the Korean Peninsula, Ryan Atkinson argues that Washington and Pyongyang won’t make any radical move warranting an escalation.
Ryan Atkinson discusses the 2017 defense budget’s implications for the CF.
Ryan Atkinson discusses Canada’s efforts to address looming humanitarian crises around the world.
Ryan Atkinson discusses the prospects of a possible Canadian peace operation in the Sahel.
