York Regional Police

Prioritizing cybersecurity to modernize policing and help ensure community safety

Case Study Overview

With 1,600 sworn members and 600 civilian members as of 2024, York Regional Police (YRP) is the sixth-largest police service in Canada and an internationally recognized public safety leader. YRP officers and support staff are tasked with ensuring the safety of the 1.2 million residents in the region, a responsibility that spans nine different municipalities. YRP serves one of the most diverse populations in Canada, with residents who identify with more than 200 ethnic origins, practice more than 10 different religions, and speak more than 16 unique languages.

York Regional Police patrols areas ranging from serene rural landscapes to urban cityscapes, utilizing Motorola Solutions' ASTRO P25 network and APX radio to ensure their officers are always connected.

[Image: Abstract visualization of digital network connections and data streams.]

Customer Details

Customer: York Regional Police

Location: Aurora, Ontario, Canada

Industry: Public safety, law enforcement

Solutions Provided by Motorola Solutions

Cybersecurity Managed Services:

ActiveEye Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
ActiveEye MDR for Enterprise, including:
- Log analytics
- Network detection
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) monitoring and support

Cybersecurity Advisory Services:

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Assessment
Internal vulnerability scanning
Firewall review
External and physical penetration testing

[Image: York Regional Police crest.]

[Image: Motorola Solutions logo.]

Challenges

York Regional Police is responsible for a large and growing population. The region is forecast to hit a population of more than 1.5 million people by 2036 and more than 2 million by 2051. As part of the Service's commitment to delivering quality police services, York Regional Police is dedicated to modernizing policing through technology in order to drive efficiencies and drive community safety. While this equips the service with the tools they need to serve its community, it also raises the risk of cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity attacks on public safety agencies are increasing in number and sophistication and can cost millions of dollars in a matter of minutes. York Regional Police recognized that a successful cyber attack on their mission-critical network would compromise their operations and impact their ability to serve and protect the community. Communications between officers would be affected, 9-1-1 response capabilities would be hampered, and evidence-gathering could come to a halt.

A cyber attack could also compromise data and sensitive information, which would, in turn, damage the trust York Regional Police has built with its community. Additionally, finding the resources to continuously monitor York Regional Police's mission-critical network for cyber threats 24/7 was a challenge in itself.

York Regional Police understood that it was important to stay ahead of threats by being proactive instead of reactive in order to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data and network.

Mission-critical networks need to be fully available and resilient to cyber attacks. As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, prevention and detection are critical for a successful security strategy in order to achieve York Regional Police's strategic and operational business objectives.

Benefits

Gained a true understanding of York Regional Police's risk profile based on industry-specific threats, enabling York Regional Police to address gaps and findings that may impact their mission-critical networks.
Developed a "security first" mindset and culture.
Established a robust cybersecurity governance framework and implemented mitigation and remediation strategies based on the guidance and recommendations provided by the Motorola Solutions Cybersecurity Advisory Services team.
Implemented 24/7 monitoring services delivered by Motorola Solutions' Security Operations Centre (SOC), allowing York Regional Police to proactively safeguard its network and stay ahead of threats by identifying potentially malicious activity and responding to threats quickly.
Enhanced ability to defend against cyber attacks in order to maintain service availability and reliable communication vital to the success of York Regional Police's public safety missions.
Gained access to professionals with cybersecurity and public safety expertise to support and enable York Regional Police's mission to ensure the safety and security of their members and the communities they serve.

As leaders of policing within Ontario, we strive to leverage innovation and technology, drive efficiencies and drive community safety.
— Paulo DaSilva, Deputy Chief of Police

24/7 Protection from Cyber Threats

York Regional Police recognizes the importance of advancing technology to enhance its public safety services. Partnering with Motorola Solutions for cybersecurity is an important step towards ensuring the availability, safety, and reliability of its operations. With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, it's crucial for public safety organizations to stay ahead of potential risks. By investing in robust cybersecurity measures, York Regional Police can focus on their primary mission to better serve and protect the community without the worry of cyber attacks disrupting its operations.

For public safety agencies, it is vital to be proactive – rather than reactive – against cyber threats. Having the right tools and processes in place can be the difference between staying operational and jeopardizing the safety of first responders and the communities they serve.

It is extremely vital from a leadership perspective to have a very significant role when it comes to the cybersecurity protection of your organization and what that means from a policing perspective. Because if you're not, you're leaving your service open to vulnerabilities, which ultimately will impact the community that you serve.
— Paulo DaSilva, Deputy Chief of Police

[Image: Stylized graphic of a digital padlock secured by network circuitry.]

Mission-Critical Network Resilience

Mission-critical networks need to be fully available and resilient to cyber attacks. As cyber attacks increase and become more sophisticated, prevention and detection are critical to maintaining secure and reliable communication vital to the success of public safety missions.

[Image: Image of a woman working at multiple computer monitors displaying data.]

Sources

1. https://yorkpublishing.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=30879#:~:text=YORK%20REGION%20was%20the%20SIXTH, in%20CANADA%20by%20YEAR%2DEND.&text=In%202021%2C%20the%20population%20grew, 10%20 year%20 average%20 of%201.3%25. York Region 2021 Growth and Development Review - April 2022
2. https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/100293-the-biggest-cyber-threats-to-public-safety-agencies The biggest cyber threats to public safety agencies

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To learn more, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com

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