Securing the Future: AI and Cybersecurity Take Centre Stage at Exclusive London Forum
Cybersecurity challenges are escalating as technology quickly advances, so staying ahead means more than reacting - it requires collaboration, innovation and leadership. This was the driving force behind the TechCentric AI & Cybersecurity Forum, hosted by the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) on June 19, 2025, at the VersaBank Innovation Centre of Excellence.
The gathering brought together a cross-section of senior tech leaders from across Ontario – including CIO’s, CTO’s, CISOs and innovation managers – for an immersive evening exploring the critical intersection of AI and cybersecurity. With London fast becoming a nexus for advanced technology and innovation, the event highlighted the city’s growing relevance in shaping Canada’s digital security landscape while positioning itself as a tech-led leader.
Central to the evening was a keynote presentation by Bernard (Bernie) Derible, former Deputy Minister and Commissioner of Emergency Management Ontario (EMO). With more than 35 years of global service – including senior leadership roles in NATO and UN operations – Derible offered a wide-ranging perspective on risk management, operational readiness, and the evolving role of government in cyber resilience. His insights resonated with a room full of leaders tasked with safeguarding digital infrastructure across both public and private sectors.
His past roles have included responsibility for the federal government emergency response to the Ontario Ice storm - Ottawa Region (1998) as acting Base Commander of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, implementing the Syria refugee program, and also as Senior Advisor on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force which rolled out over 30 million vaccines, placing Ontario in the top three per capita in the world for shots.
Adding a hands-on component to the evening was a live demonstration of DRT Cyber’s AI-powered penetration testing and social engineering platform. Tanuki Autonomous penetration testing simulates real-world cyberattacks to help organizations identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them.
TechCentric 2025 bridged public safety and tech innovation in London. By bringing Ontario’s emergency‑management chief together with local cybersecurity experts, the conference raised awareness that AI‑driven cyberthreats are a pressing, local concern. Participants left with concrete ideas – for example, how AI tools like Tanuki can augment traditional defenses – and a clearer understanding of how government and industry must coordinate.
Though it was covered mainly as a “crash course” on AI‑related threats, the real effect will be in follow‑up action: London firms are now better equipped and motivated to invest in advanced security, and policymakers have stronger ties to the tech community, thanks to Tanuki.
Tanuki is an autonomous, AI-powered penetration-testing platform that continuously assesses a network’s security like an advanced persistent threat (APT). Developed by London, Ont.-based startup EzoTech and marketed through VersaBank’s DRT Cyber unit, Tanuki performs thousands of simultaneous attacks on every system after any change. This gives companies a heightened look at cybersecurity weaknesses at a fraction of the time – and at a fraction of the cost.
Tanuki enables organizations to “hack themselves” on demand for a tiny fraction of the time and expense of hiring external consultants. This makes continuous security testing affordable for mid-market firms that couldn’t afford it previously. DRT now leverages London talent and infrastructure to build a North American cybersecurity business citing this tie with Tanuki demonstrations as examples of local innovation in AI and security. In time, DRT plans to develop a continuous cybersecurity engine around Tanuki, meaning this London-developed solution is in the works to go global – a win for the local tech industry and a reminder of London’s growing role as a tech innovation hub.
The event reflects LEDC’s broader mandate to support the tech sector and accelerate economic growth. LEDC's dedication to ensuring that London is positioned as a leading hub for innovation and economic growth by instilling confidence in both our existing and prospective businesses about London’s sustainability, security, and resiliency, especially in times of geo-political uncertainty. To achieve this, London will need a holistic approach. It’s as a team that we move innovation forward, and we want to ensure that London is collectively taking a progressive approach towards cybersecurity.
While this event was invite-only, LEDC is committed to hosting future forums and initiatives that extend these conversations to a broader audience of innovators, entrepreneurs and enterprise leaders – just like the recurring WTF Forums.
DRT Cyber, a key partner in the event, brought advanced threat detection and risk mitigation tools to the market, allowing the public and private sector to be bridged. Their involvement in this forum reflects the high-caliber collaboration London cultivates in its tech ecosystem, through numerous events annually.
Beyond presentations and demos, the forum offered a valuable opportunity for industry networking and dialogue, essential in a field where best practices evolve rapidly, and shared intelligence can make the difference between resilience and risk. As the digital threat landscape continues to evolve, so too must the networks and knowledge that protect it.
Are you interested in getting involved next time? Keep an eye on ledc.com and social media pages for upcoming opportunities.
