Two months ago, an Edmonton construction company with 60 employees got hit with ransomware. They lost access to every project file, every bid, every piece of accounting data. The ransom demand? $400,000 in Bitcoin.
They called us. We got them back online. But it took weeks, not hours.
I’ve been running Keeran Networks in Edmonton for 26 years. And I can tell you without hesitation: the last two years have been the worst I’ve seen for cybersecurity incidents targeting local businesses.
There’s a persistent myth that cybercriminals only go after big companies. Banks. Hospitals. Government agencies.
That’s dangerously wrong.
The businesses getting hit hardest right now are exactly the ones you’d find in any Edmonton office park. The RCMP’s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre reports that SMBs across Alberta are facing a sharp increase in targeted attacks. Accounting firms. Law offices. Construction companies. Logistics providers. Healthcare clinics. Companies with 20 to 200 employees who think they’re flying under the radar.
They’re not. Attackers use automated tools that scan millions of targets simultaneously. They don’t care if you’re a Fortune 500 or a family business. They care if you’re vulnerable.
From our frontline perspective managing IT security for businesses across Edmonton, here’s what’s actually happening:
Business email compromise is the number one threat. Attackers get into an email account (usually through a phished credential with no MFA), then they sit and watch. They learn who handles money. They learn the approval process. Then they send a perfectly crafted email that redirects a payment to their account.
We caught one of these in progress last quarter. The attacker had been inside the mailbox for three weeks before making their move.
Ransomware is getting more targeted. The old “spray and pray” ransomware is still out there, but the serious attacks are now specifically aimed at mid-sized businesses. They research their targets. They know your revenue. They set the ransom at a number they think you’ll pay.
Supply chain attacks are increasing. Your business might be secure, but what about your vendors? What about your accountant’s email? What about that software tool you use for project management? Attackers are going through the weakest link in your business relationships to get to you.
Credential stuffing is everywhere. If your employees reuse passwords (and statistically, most do), attackers are using credentials from old breaches to log into your systems right now. This is why MFA is so critical.
Edmonton’s economy runs on industries that have historically underinvested in cybersecurity. Oil and gas, construction, professional services. These sectors are loaded with sensitive financial data, project bids, and personal information, but they’ve traditionally treated IT as a cost center rather than a strategic investment.
That gap is what attackers exploit.
Add to that the reality that many Edmonton businesses are still running hybrid environments with legacy systems that weren’t designed for today’s threat landscape. Old VPNs with no MFA. On-premise servers that haven’t been patched in months. Employees using personal devices with no managed IT oversight.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
After 26 years of protecting Edmonton businesses, here’s what I know works:
Layer your defenses. No single tool stops everything. You need prevention measures, detection capabilities, and a plan for when something gets through. Think of it like a building: locks on the doors, cameras in the hallways, and a plan for what to do if someone breaks in anyway.
Invest in your people. The majority of breaches start with a human action. A click on a phishing link. A password shared over email. A USB drive plugged into a workstation. Security awareness training isn’t optional anymore. It’s as fundamental as locking the front door.
Get your incident response plans in order. When (not if) something happens, the speed of your response determines the damage. Do you know who to call? Do you know which systems to isolate? Do your employees know what to do if they think they’ve been compromised?
Most businesses can’t answer those questions. That needs to change.
Conduct regular security audits. You can’t protect what you don’t understand. An audit identifies gaps you didn’t know existed. We find critical vulnerabilities in almost every new client assessment we run. Not because they’re negligent, but because the threat landscape changes faster than most businesses can track.
Meet your compliance requirements. Depending on your industry, you may have regulatory obligations around data protection. PIPEDA applies to every business in Canada handling personal information. Some sectors have additional requirements. Non-compliance isn’t just a fine. It’s a liability.
I’ll be blunt. The businesses that are getting hurt the worst aren’t the ones with bad security. They’re the ones with no security. The ones who assumed it wouldn’t happen to them.
Every week, I talk to a business owner who just learned the hard way.
The average downtime from a ransomware attack is 22 days. For a company doing $5 million in annual revenue, that’s over $300,000 in lost productivity alone. Add in the ransom, the recovery costs, the legal fees, the reputational damage, and the potential regulatory fines.
Now compare that to the cost of doing it right from the start.
We’re not a faceless national call center. We’re an Edmonton company that’s been protecting Edmonton businesses for over two decades. When something goes wrong, you’re talking to people who understand your market, your regulatory environment, and your business realities.
Our cybersecurity approach is built on proactive protection, continuous monitoring, employee training, and rapid incident response. We don’t sell fear. We sell preparedness.
If you’re an Edmonton business owner and you’re not confident in your cybersecurity posture, let’s have a conversation. No sales pitch. Just an honest look at where you stand and what needs to happen next.
Are Edmonton businesses really being targeted by cyber attacks?
Yes. Edmonton’s oil and gas, professional services, and construction sectors are actively targeted because attackers know these industries handle sensitive financial data and often lack dedicated security teams. Being a mid-sized city doesn’t make you invisible — it makes you easier to breach.
What cybersecurity threats are most common for Edmonton businesses?
Business email compromise (BEC), ransomware, and credential theft are the top three. BEC attacks targeting wire transfers are particularly common in Edmonton’s resource and professional services sectors. Phishing remains the most common entry point for all three.
How much does managed cybersecurity cost for a small business in Edmonton?
Comprehensive managed cybersecurity typically costs $50–$150 per user per month, depending on the level of protection. This includes endpoint detection, network monitoring, email security, and 24/7 incident response. Compare this to the average breach cost of $150,000+.
What should an Edmonton business look for in a cybersecurity provider?
Local presence and response capability, 24/7 monitoring (not just business hours), experience in your industry, and a proactive approach that includes regular assessments — not just break-fix support. Ask for references from businesses your size in your sector.
Related: Learn more about how to prevent data breaches, why MFA is important, and the importance of a cybersecurity audit.
We’re here for you every step of the way, ready to guide, connect, and protect your IT ecosystem. Get in touch with us today, and let us help you thrive in the digital landscape.