Canadian Parliament Active Attacker Uncovers Emergency Communication Challenges

Attack on the Parliament

On October 22, 2014, a lone gunman entered the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa and opened fire. He managed to kill a soldier on ceremonial duty and injure three others before he was killed by security officers. The Centre Block stands at the heart of the Canadian Federal Government’s center of operations known as Parliament Hill. As Canada’s national capital, Ottawa is filled with embassies, diplomats, and high-ranking government officials. It has a sophisticated security infrastructure consisting of police, military and secret service forces. It also has a policy that much of the common grounds of the Parliament buildings should remain accessible to the public, as a symbol of Canada’s openness. This fact made it easy for the perpetrator to get as far as he did.

The ENS team faced challenges beyond technical issues like computer systems or radio frequencies, delving into privacy, data sharing, and personal information concerns. Significant security incidents from “lone wolf” shooters through to coordinated terrorist attacks are increasing in frequency and can happen anywhere at any time. The creation of an emergency communications platform that is reliable, ready, and fully comprehensible by every potentially affected individual requires a highly specialized palate of services and expertise. This is what BlackBerry delivered with BlackBerry AtHoc.