Cybercrime and Cyber Fraud in Canada | Canada's Place in Cyberspace

Dr. Christian Leuprecht’s work with the Human-Centric Cybersecurity Partnership examines the intersection of cyber policy, governance, politics, and strategy. Rather than treating cybersecurity as only a technical problem, his research focuses on the human and democratic dimensions of cyber issues: how governments make policy in an area that is difficult for many citizens and elected officials to understand, how state agencies remain accountable, and how human behaviour creates both vulnerabilities and opportunities in cyberspace.

A major focus of his research is cybercrime and cyber fraud in Canada, especially investment fraud involving virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. His work shows that enforcement capacity is uneven across jurisdictions and that smaller jurisdictions can be disproportionately affected, even when they have fewer resources to prevent, investigate, or respond to fraud. The research highlights the need for better data, stronger reporting cultures, and approaches that treat people affected by cyber fraud as victims rather than as individuals to be blamed or shamed.

Dr. Leuprecht’s work also explores how Canada and other middle powers can assert their interests in cyberspace, particularly when international rules are weak or contested and when countries have traditionally relied on U.S. leadership. His research points to the importance of coordination, cooperation, and collaboration among like-minded jurisdictions and allied countries, including shared approaches to red lines, deterrence, enforcement, and cyber doctrine. Across these projects, his central finding is that the greatest challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity lie not only in technology, but in the people, institutions, and governance systems that shape how cyber capabilities are used.