Policy Village
Policy Village is not about corporate policies such as Acceptable Use Policy… Nor is it about implementing technical controls or anything like that. Rather, it’s about understanding the ways that policies at the government level affect the world of cybersecurity, and what we can do to get involved in policy-making. Whether you’re a cybersecurity professional, casual hacker, or enthusiast of politics, this track offers a lot to think about, and some ideas to take home.
2025 Village Voices
David Shipley is the CEO and co-founder of Beauceron Security, a Canadian cybersecurity awareness company helping organizations turn people into their strongest defense. A former journalist and military veteran, Shipley has become one of Canada’s leading voices on cybersecurity policy and digital trust. Over the past decade, he has testified numerous times before Parliament and the Senate on issues ranging from national cyber resilience to privacy and AI governance. His frontline experience bridging technology, policy, and human behavior gives him a unique perspective on how Canada can — and must — chart a smarter path through today’s legislative jungle.
Cheryl Biswas is a Cyber Security Analyst, Threat Intelligence based in New Brunswick, Canada. She gained initial access to InfoSec through a helpdesk backdoor, pivoted into vendor and change management roles, then jumped a gap into privacy, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning. From there, she laterally moved into security audits and assessments. Her Political Science degree evolved into a passion for researching APTs, botnets, ransomware, and more. Actively engaged in the security community, Cheryl is a frequent conference speaker and volunteer, and mentors individuals new to the field. She is also an advocate for women and diversity in InfoSec as a founding member of The Diana Initiative.
James Troutman is a technology consultant and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in Internet infrastructure, cybersecurity, and IT leadership. He has served as a fractional CIO, CISO, and network architect, helping organizations align technology strategies with business goals while still ensuring security and resilience. He recently co-authored and helped design Maine’s MOOSE Net project, a 530-mile open-access fiber optic network enabling new lower-latency routes across Maine between Atlantic Canada and Quebec. James is the volunteer Co-founder and Director of the Northern New England Neutral Internet Exchange (NNENIX) and a lead organizer of SkyTalks, an off-the-record cybersecurity forum held in Las Vegas during “hacker summer camp.
Michael Woolslayer is Policy Counsel at HackerOne, where he leads initiatives on cybersecurity, AI security, and responsible vulnerability disclosure. With a background spanning technology law, policy, and security program development, he works to bridge the gap between researchers, industry, and government.
Before joining HackerOne’s policy team, Michael practiced technology and privacy law at Perkins Coie and previously supported HackerOne’s customer and advisory operations. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Master’s in International Policy Studies from Stanford University.
Logan Maclaren is a Senior Red Team Engineer at GitHub where he spends his time finding out how to best break (and fix) security controls. Prior to Red Teaming, Logan was a manager of GitHub’s Bug Bounty program and has held roles spanning everything from database management to big data analytics. When not hacking on GitHub itself, Logan can be found doing security research focused on open source projects or learning and refining skills with CTF challenges!
Lucas Cherkewski (he / him) is a technologist and policy advisor. He’s helped government teams grow to meet challenging moments, supporting the development of high-priority services and advising on organizational strategy, including legislative change. He’s happiest at work on a multidisciplinary team, helping technologists understand policy folks and vice versa. Outside of work, he contributes to Ottawa’s civic tech community, and, to escape the screens, makes sawdust and shavings in his workshop.
Karl Holmqvist is the Founder and CEO of Lastwall, a leader in identity-centric and quantum-resilient cybersecurity. A recognized authority on quantum security threats and critical identity management, Karl has over 20 years of experience advancing cybersecurity innovation. Under his leadership, Lastwall has been a trusted partner to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit since 2017 and plays a key role in fortifying defense, government, and critical infrastructure sectors. Karl’s expertise in quantum resilience and identity security continues to shape global standards through collaborations with governments, regulators, and major technology firms.
Shelly Bruce is a CIGI distinguished fellow and the former chief (deputy minister) of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE). She was appointed chief in June 2018 and retired in September 2022, 33 years after she began her career in Canada’s cryptologic agency.
Shelly joined CSE in 1989 as a signals intelligence (SIGINT) analyst and Russian linguist. She spent time in various SIGINT operational, policy and planning roles, as well as in CSE’s Information Technology Security branch (now the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security). In 2007, she was seconded to the Security and Intelligence Secretariat at the Privy Council Office as director of operations. From 2009 until her appointment in November 2017 as associate chief of CSE, Shelly was responsible for Canada’s national SIGINT program.
Shelly continues to be engaged in various projects promoting cyber resilience and is a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa.
Sami Khoury serves as the Government of Canada Senior Official for Cyber Security, providing cyber security expert advice and guidance to deputy ministers and senior officials across the Government of Canada. This role, with Sami’s extensive experience and knowledge, is critical to safeguarding Canada’s digital infrastructure and advancing our national security interests.
Previous to this, Sami was the Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) from 2021 to 2024. The Cyber Centre is the primary source of expert advice, guidance, services, and support on cyber security for government entities, critical infrastructure owners and operators, the private sector, and the Canadian public. Sami embarked on his career at the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) in 1992, initially as a research engineer specializing in the impact of emerging multimedia communications technologies. Over the years, he has held various operational and leadership roles. More recently, he served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Enterprise Technologies and Solutions. In this capacity, he was CSE’s Chief Information Officer, led CSE’s comprehensive Research program and the 24/7 Operations Centre.
Sami holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a Master of Applied Science from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2016, he completed a certificate program in Public Sector Leadership at the University of Ottawa.
Sami’s contributions have been recognized through various accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the APEX Award of Excellence for Innovation
John Bruce is a CIGI senior fellow and a cybersecurity expert. Prior to his retirement in September 2022, John was the general counsel for Field Effect Software Inc., a cybersecurity firm in Ottawa.
John spent more than two decades with the Canadian Department of Justice, serving as legal counsel and providing strategic policy advice for the Government of Canada’s conduct of cyber defence and active cyber operations.
John is an adjunct professor at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa, where he teaches graduate courses in cybersecurity and cyber operations law and policy. His current areas of research include the legal and policy issues arising out of domestic and international cybersecurity initiatives and the application of international law to state behaviour in cyberspace.
David Whyte is the driving force behind Tidal Point’s technology vision. As Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer, he leads the development of solutions that help businesses seamlessly integrate AI, privacy, and security into their everyday operations—empowering organizations to stay resilient and innovative in a fast-changing digital world.
Beyond his work at Tidal Point, David plays an active role in shaping the global conversation around AI and cybersecurity. He is a Learning Facilitator for MIT Professional Education’s Applied Generative AI for Digital Transformation course and serves as Head of Cyber Security for Gen AI Global, a professional network created with MIT to accelerate the adoption of generative AI across industries.
Before co-founding Tidal Point, David held leadership roles at some of the world’s most influential organizations. At the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, he served as Head of Corporate Security and later founded the Cyber Resilience Coordination Centre (CRCC). There, he spearheaded initiatives to strengthen cyber defenses for a central banking community representing 63 countries—covering a remarkable 95% of global GDP. His work ranged from leading a global Security Operations Centre to running cyber range exercises and intelligence-driven threat hunting.
Earlier in his career, David was Technical Director of Cyber Defence at Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE), where he oversaw the development of next-generation cyber threat detection for the federal government.
John Weigelt leads Microsoft Canada’s strategic policy and technology efforts. He helps individuals and organizations across Canada innovate with technology while avoiding the unintended consequences that might arise.
John has contributed to many technological efforts that established the foundation for the electronic services we take for granted today and he continues to lead efforts to evolve technology standards and policy. His extensive experience in technology, business and policy provides him with a unique perspective of our technology enabled economy.
When he’s not thinking about what’s next in technology, you’ll either find John tending his bees, boiling maple syrup or brewing cider at his home or travelling the globe in search of his next culinary adventure.