CyberSafe Stirling
CyberSafe Stirling
CyberSafe Stirling is a Phase 1 community digital safety initiative focused on making practical cybersecurity information, resources and support easier for people in Stirling-Rawdon to find, understand and use.
Bridging the gap between people and available support
Cybersecurity information and resources already exist, but they can be difficult to navigate. People may not know which advice applies to their situation, where to begin, who to trust or where they can turn locally when something goes wrong.
CyberSafe Stirling is designed to help close that gap. The initiative will examine how digital safety guidance, reporting information and practical resources can be organized in a form that community members will understand, trust and actually use.
Digital safety problems do not affect everyone in the same way
A senior facing an online scam may need different support than a small business concerned about payment fraud, account security or business disruption. Community organizations may encounter questions involving privacy, shared accounts, public technology access and the safe handling of information.
The initiative will gather local input and use it to develop practical recommendations, accessible resources and a community-informed roadmap for Stirling-Rawdon.
The library creates a familiar local connection
The Stirling-Rawdon Public Library will play an important role in CyberSafe Stirling. Libraries are already places where people go for information, learning, technology access and personal assistance. In a rural community, that makes the library a practical connection point for accessible digital safety information and future education.
Phase 1 will explore how the library can help community members find trustworthy guidance, understand their next steps and connect with appropriate resources.
Connection and guidance, not incident response
The library is not being positioned as a technical support centre or cybersecurity incident-response service. Its role is to help create a trusted pathway to information and appropriate support while maintaining clear boundaries for staff and visitors.
Consultation, planning and practical resource development
Phase 1 will establish the evidence, partnerships and local delivery approach needed to support useful community digital safety programming.
Phase 1 includes
- Community surveys and local feedback
- Engagement with small businesses and community-serving organizations
- Stakeholder interviews and advisory discussions
- Assessment of digital safety awareness and access barriers
- Review of common concerns such as scams, online fraud, account security, business disruption and cybercrime reporting
- Development of plain-language education and referral resources
- Library digital safety readiness and advisory work
- Governance documentation and a strategic rural cybersecurity readiness roadmap
Phase 1 does not include
Phase 1 does not involve technical infrastructure changes, deployment of cybersecurity systems or ongoing managed cybersecurity services.
It is the foundation-building stage. The purpose is to understand how people currently find and use support, identify the barriers that prevent access, and build a practical local pathway forward.
Community findings will be reviewed in aggregate. The initiative is not intended to collect or publicly disclose personal incident details.
A community initiative supported by local knowledge and cybersecurity expertise
CyberSafe Stirling brings together the Stirling-Rawdon BIA, Stirling-Rawdon Public Library and CyberTECT around a shared objective: making digital safety resources easier for the community to find, understand and use.
Stirling-Rawdon BIA
Connects the initiative with local businesses and the wider Stirling-Rawdon community.
Stirling-Rawdon Public Library
Contributes its experience as a trusted, accessible community institution and local information hub.
CyberTECT
Supports the Phase 1 cybersecurity planning, consultation, resource development and advisory work.
Building a practical path forward
The outcome of Phase 1 will be a rural cybersecurity readiness roadmap shaped by local participation and practical community needs. It will help clarify where access gaps exist, which concerns require the most attention and how trusted local organizations can connect people with appropriate information and support.
Funding acknowledgement: CyberSafe Stirling is funded in part by the Government of Ontario through the Rural Ontario Development Program.
The views set out in this communication are those of the Recipient and do not necessarily reflect those of Ontario.