A message from Alfonso Licata, ORION President & CEO
Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION
Reflecting on the past year, I am filled with gratitude for our collective accomplishments. Each success highlights our commitment to empowering researchers, educators, and innovators in Ontario. ORION enables groundbreaking research and innovation that fuels Ontario’s economy and drives economic growth.
We identified and implemented core values throughout the organization to shape our culture. By integrating these values into our business practices, we fortify trust and enhance the overall experience for our community. We made strides to connect rural communities and bridge the digital divide. Through ongoing conversations, we refined our services in alignment with the needs of the research and education sectors.
Our team travelled throughout the province to complete upgrades that expanded our network and optimized infrastructure, resulting in significant energy savings and enhanced environmental sustainability. We also launched new programs and improved existing offerings to advance our community’s cybersecurity posture. We are proud to collaborate with public and private partners for diverse perspectives, expertise, and resources to support sustained growth, enabling ORION to implement innovative solutions and provide best-in-class services for shared success. Our active participation in events, conferences, and meetings allowed us to strengthen relationships with our community.
Overall, we have made remarkable progress in advancing research, enriching education, and empowering innovation. We remain committed to fostering connections and collaboration as we recognize our past achievements and focus on the future. I want to extend my personal thanks to our devoted team, our esteemed board members, and our incredible community. Thank you for your continued support as we move forward into another year of progress.
Alfonso Licata,
President and CEO
ORION focuses on three strategic themes to support the research, education, and innovation community in Ontario.
1. Creating a Culture of Purpose and Connection
Our commitment to transparency, equity and engagement enables an intentional balance between collaboration, inclusivity, operational excellence, and focus.
2. Sustaining and Advancing a World Class Research and Education Network
ORION sustains and constantly advances the province’s shared essential research, education, and innovation platform. We protect its value and performance, driven by world-class standards and an ambition for equitable access.
3. Building Trusted Community Partnerships
ORION connects Ontario’s research, education and innovation ecosystem through trusted, relevant community partnerships. We lead transparent, focused conversations to unify our voices for shared digital infrastructure.
Keep reading to discover what we have accomplished for each strategic theme over the past year.
Theme One: Creating a Culture of Purpose and Connection
ORION Core Values
In the spring of 2023, we engaged a third-party consultant to conduct focus groups to identify and evolve ORION Core Values. The outcomes of these conversations have led to the following five values: purpose driven organization, culture of care and well-being, teamwork and collaboration, diverse and inclusive community, and empowerment. We have begun integrating these latest core values across our organization to guide our decisions and further shape our culture. The ORION Core Values are vital in fostering a community where everyone feels respected and valued, profoundly impacting satisfaction and driving business success.
Connecting Rural Communities
From left to right: Rebecca Jamieson, President and CEO, Six Nations Polytechnic; Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION
Six Nations Polytechnic
A journey that began eight years ago came to fruition in July 2023, when Six Nations Polytechnic was connected to the ORION network. Later that year in September, we celebrated this milestone with our communities as Six Nations Polytechnic became the first Indigenous owned and governed institution in Ontario to join Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This connection enables Six Nations Polytechnic to advance Indigenous knowledge and education, fostering collaboration and innovation. We are committed to bridging the digital divide and connecting rural communities to create a more equitable and inclusive future.
Learn more about our story of persistence and the value of this partnership.
Sharing with the Community
Community Engagement
More than ever before over the past year, we actively engaged with our community through conferences, events, and meetings. Our team members had meaningful discussions with representatives from colleges, universities, hospitals, NREN partners, CANARIE, and groups including Ontario College Council of Chief Information Officers (OCCCIO) and Ontario University Council of Chief Information Officers (OUCCIO). We are conducting collaborative dialogues and building government partnerships to tailor our future initiatives to meet the community’s evolving needs. Your input is greatly valued, and we encourage your participation.
From left to right: Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION; Barb Carra, President and CEO, Cybera; Kathryn Anthonsien, President and CEO, CANARIE; Nancy Carter, Vice President of Legal and Corporate Governance, CANARIE
ORION in Iqaluit, Nunavut
In August 2023, representatives from the ORION executive team attended the NREN CANARIE Conference in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The conference brought together key stakeholders in the research and education sectors to celebrate Nunavut Arctic College joining Canada’s NREN. We also participated in a workshop, sharing ideas and insights with other organizations. This milestone will create new opportunities for researchers, educators, and innovators in Northern communities, and we are excited to strengthen collaboration and connectivity across Canada.
Community Informed Design Process (CIDP)
The Community Informed Design Process is a strategic approach that ORION adopted to engage the community to improve our services. Throughout the year, we gathered qualitative and quantitative data from surveys, operations data, and one-on-one and group conversations. We are incorporating feedback from our community to make data-driven decisions that inform our product, network, communications, and performance. We continue to cultivate collaboration as we seek to enhance existing programs and explore new offerings.
2025-2030 Strategic Plan Development
In our pursuit to develop the strategic plan for 2025-2030, we have engaged in extensive outreach and stakeholder engagement to capture a wide range of insights. This engagement has yielded valuable perspectives, with stakeholders showing a keen interest in more profound involvement. To address this, we have designed an Advisory Group framework to facilitate structured strategic contributions, sector trend analysis, service ideation, and community interaction. Currently, we are piloting this model with two advisory groups dedicated to colleges and universities to gather input for ORION’s five-year strategic plan. We will continuously solicit and incorporate feedback throughout this initiative to ensure the Advisory Group framework is effective, inclusive, and responsive to our community’s changing needs.
Theme Two: Sustaining and Advancing a World Class Research and Education Network
Advancing our platform is a collective effort fueled by the hard work of the ORION team and the unwavering support of our community. We continue to upgrade infrastructure, collaborate with partners, enhance community engagement, and co-develop cybersecurity services to secure the community. It takes a village to sustain our network that supports researchers, educators, and innovators across Ontario.
Strengthening and Expanding ORION’s Platform
From left to right: Cary Guatieri, Network Specialist, ORION; Scott Kennedy, Network Architect (Transport), ORION; Shivaraj Maheswarappa, Network Architect, ORION, Ali Mahmoudialami, Network Technician (Transport), ORION; Maryam Foroughi, NOC Technician, ORION
ORION Network Upgrades
We travelled across Ontario to improve our network to support researchers, educators, and innovators. Our dedicated team logged thousands of kilometres, visiting various locations to make network upgrades and ensuring our infrastructure meets the highest standards. We have improved network performance, increased capacity, and enhanced security measures. We completed optical upgrades at 11 network nodes across southern Ontario and router upgrades to reduce operational risks. Our security team also doubled our distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack scrubbing capacity to address escalating threats and further strengthen our security services. This has resulted in a more robust and responsive network, ensuring better reliability for all users. We will continue to strengthen and expand our network to meet the connectivity needs of our community.
Over the past 18 months, ORION worked to complete the Welland redundancy build that spans 14 kilometres. This critical build strengthens the ORION network to minimize risk. The upgrade will ensure quality of service and provide an improved experience for our community.
Collaborating with Merit Network
We held meetings with Merit Network, a research and education network in Michigan State. We explored opportunities for enhanced collaboration, reinforcing our commitment to delivering impactful and innovative solutions for our community. Together, we conducted a technical review to share details about security operations centres and associated security controls. In a joint effort with the local Indigenous community, we investigated the potential development of a new fibre route, aimed at improving network diversity and connectivity into Sault Ste. Marie. We will continue to work with regional research and education networks to strengthen our cybersecurity and infrastructure.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Technology
ORION has been exploring the potential of LEO technology to bridge the digital divide and increase connectivity for remote communities. Canada’s NREN has successfully integrated Nunavut into the network through the innovative deployment of LEO technology, spanning 25 communities and 36 facilities. The cutting-edge technology has increased access to digital resources and empowered local Inuit communities to participate more fully in the global knowledge economy. We look forward to working with NREN partners to strengthen Canada’s research and education network and create a more interconnected country.
Impact of AI
As we refined our network architecture roadmap, we considered the impact of AI on network design and operations. We have been addressing the substantial bandwidth and latency demands in specific use-case scenarios involving Large Language Models (LLMs) and their associated data dependencies. Additionally, we accounted for the significant data center implications of increased central processing unit (CPU) and power densities. In collaboration with other NREN partners, we explored innovative ways to leverage AI to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our network and cybersecurity operations.
ORION Network Projects Funded by CANARIE
The CANARIE Competitive Funding Program enabled ORION to complete three significant projects that advance our infrastructure and reduce power consumption. We invested over $1.8 million in network upgrades to improve connectivity, performance, and security. These enhancements have strengthened our network’s capacity to support the growing needs of our researchers and educators. This enables greater collaboration and fosters further innovation. We continue to work closely with CANARIE to provide our community with the tools and technology they need to succeed in an ever-changing world.
We are proactively upgrading the ORION network to deliver enhanced reliability, expanded capacity, and fortified security. These improvements are crucial for the network’s reliability and growth, and they cater to the dynamic requirements of Ontario’s researchers and educators. Our commitment to continuous equipment and infrastructure enhancements is unwavering, ensuring that we provide robust support for our community now and in the future.
Evolving and Strengthening Cybersecurity for the Community
In 2023, research and education, government and military, and healthcare were the three most targeted industries globally. The research and education sector experienced an average of 2,314 attacks per organization weekly, an increase of 43 percent from the previous year (Check Point).
ORION is at the forefront of cybersecurity, embracing a community-driven approach that leverages our collective expertise. We provide a suite of products, services, and programs designed to bolster the cybersecurity defences of institutions. Our comprehensive solutions span the entire National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework—Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover—empowering organizations to concentrate on their primary missions with confidence in their security measures.
ORION Cybersecurity Strategy
Over the past seven years, ORION has pioneered and developed cybersecurity initiatives in collaboration with our community to meet changing needs. From the launch of the Shared-CISO Pilot to the establishment of the Ontario Cybersecurity Higher Education Consortium (ON-CHEC), ORION Shared Security Operations Centre (ON-SSOC), Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP), DDoS Threat Protection, Cybersecurity Awareness Training, and more, our cybersecurity offerings have grown extensively. This growth signifies our unwavering commitment to delivering tailored cybersecurity solutions that cater to the unique needs of researchers and educators.
In our ongoing commitment to cybersecurity excellence, ORION has introduced the new role of Chief Cybersecurity Officer. This position is dedicated to formulating a long-term cybersecurity strategy and approach to support the research and education sectors. This strategic move ensures that we stay ahead of the curve in protecting our community.
ORION Shared Security Operations Centre (ON-SSOC)
In June 2023, we launched the ORION Shared Security Operations Centre (ON-SSOC) to safeguard the Ontario higher education sector. This community-driven, cloud-based platform provides comprehensive threat detection and proactive protection from cyberattacks. ON-SSOC features a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts, advanced technologies, and actionable recommendations tailored to the higher education sector. Since its launch, we have enhanced ON-SSOC to elevate the cybersecurity posture of our community, and we will continue to do so in the years ahead.
See how we turned the ON-SSOC concept into reality.
Theme Three: Building and Sustaining Trusted Community Partnerships
We collaborate closely with our community to provide shared services, a business and service delivery model where administrative functions are consolidated and provided centrally. This approach increases efficiency, streamlines operations, and reduces costs. We are committed to building meaningful community and government partnerships that enable ORION to leverage additional resources to develop sustainable solutions. Our focus on shared services and strategic partnerships is driven by equity, innovation, and transparency. By centralizing support functions and collaborating with key stakeholders, we can better serve the unique needs of our community and lay a strong foundation for future success.
ORION Cybersecurity Programs and Partnerships
Ontario Cybersecurity Higher Education Consortium (ON-CHEC)
During the fifth year of ON-CHEC, we provided incident response planning guidance and support to over 80% of our members. From security alerts and advisories to cybersecurity incident debriefs and weekly threat intelligence meetings, we helped educate and inform the higher education sector. We also hosted interactive tabletop exercises and well-received webinars about cybersecurity, generative AI, and incident response. As we embark on the sixth year of ON-CHEC, we remain committed to actively listening to our community and addressing security challenges. Cybersecurity is a collaborative journey, and we are better equipped to face the challenges that lie ahead by working together.
From left to right: Tracy Dallaire, Director of Information Security, McMaster University; Sue McGlashan, Research Information Security Lead, University of Toronto; Janice Cordeiro, Cybersecurity Analyst, Cambrian College; Kalyani Khati, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives, University of Toronto
ON-CHEC Day
In our efforts to foster a secure future, ORION hosted the fourth annual ON-CHEC Day on December 1, 2023, which saw record attendance. Aligned with this year’s theme, “Securing the Future: Strategies and Ideas for Continued Cyber Resilience,” ON-CHEC Day was dedicated to enhancing the cybersecurity readiness of the higher education sector. Key topics included “Women in Cybersecurity,” “National Cybersecurity Assessment (NCA) Results,” “Quantum Computing,” “Director’s Roundtable,” and “AI, Machine Learning, and Your Cybersecurity.” We explored different strategies to bolster cyber resilience in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
ORION Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT)
In February 2023, we introduced Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), a comprehensive solution to provide institutions with robust protection against cyberattacks. It offers real-time notifications and comprehensive reports with actionable recommendations, ensuring organizations are well-equipped to defend against evolving threats. This solution enhances visibility into IT environments, minimizes security risks, and uncovers vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. The launch of VAPT reflects our ongoing commitment to elevating our community’s cybersecurity posture and empowering institutions to build a more secure digital environment.
Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP)
The Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP) is a critical initiative to bolster cybersecurity defences within Canada’s research and education sector. Funded by the Government of Canada, CIP empowers eligible organizations with advanced technologies, enhanced processes, and expanded expertise. Program offerings include comprehensive threat intelligence, community engagement, and innovative initiatives, including the National Cybersecurity Assessment (NCA) and the CIRA DNS Firewall Off-Network Protection.
In the second year of NCA, ORION encouraged institutions to sign up and supported them in completing assessments. After finalizing the reports, we reviewed the results with institutions, providing guidance on making investments that will improve their cybersecurity capabilities. We informed our community about a new funded initiative known as CIRA DNS Firewall off-network protection. CIRA’s off-network protection extends the protection of CIRA’s DNS Firewall to users’ devices when they are accessing the internet beyond a campus network. We are committed to fortifying cybersecurity defences and contributing to a safer digital environment.
ORION Cybersecurity Awareness Training
In 2023, ORION introduced several new members and implemented numerous improvements to the ORION Cybersecurity Awareness Training service offering. We launched innovative features, carried out continuous enhancements, and refined the onboarding process to elevate the user experience on the platform. We integrated hands-on simulation labs and strategic tabletop exercises to provide practical training, equipping users to tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges effectively. Furthermore, our team investigated potential avenues to extend the program’s reach into the research, government, and healthcare sectors. As we progress, we remain dedicated to actively engaging with our community and fostering cybersecurity awareness, recognizing that well-informed users are the most robust defence against cyber threats.
ORION Community Training
Throughout the year, ORION Community Training has delivered cost-effective and superior-quality courses, enabling our community to advance their skills and knowledge. We have facilitated a range of courses including Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) in July 2023, ITIL 4 in September 2023, Certified Network Defender (CND) in November 2023, Incident Management Training in February 2024, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) in March 2024. Our commitment to offering training courses and professional development opportunities fosters a culture of continuous learning within our community, equipping individuals with the necessary expertise to thrive in their professional endeavours.
ORION Connectivity Services and Partnerships
ORION and GTAnet Amalgamation
On April 1, 2023, the ORION and GTAnet amalgamation marked a significant milestone in enhancing digital infrastructure and connectivity across Ontario. This community-driven amalgamation was a strategic decision to consolidate infrastructure and resources. In doing so, we have created a more robust and resilient platform designed to meet the growing needs of researchers and educators. With funding support from CANARIE and the government, we have completed critical upgrades to the network. These enhancements not only strengthen network reliability but also meet the evolving needs of researchers and educators in Ontario. As ORION continues the integration, we are providing ongoing support and regular updates. The amalgamation underscores our commitment to advancing our network and meeting the digital needs of our community.
Government Relations and Advocacy
Over the past year, we collaborated with the Ontario government and advocated for our community. We partnered with the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (MPBSDP) to host a cybersecurity workshop, tailored for the higher education sector. We engaged Directors of Research to collaborate on cybersecurity initiatives and established new relationships with Supply Ontario to explore operational efficiencies in shared services. We continue to work on a cybersecurity report, aimed at identifying resource gaps and guiding funding allocations to enhance the cybersecurity posture of institutions. In collaboration with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), we are developing an evergreen document that outlines best practices for maintaining cyber safety. We remain dedicated to building partnerships with the government and empowering our community to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
From left to right: Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION; Deborah MacLatchy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Wilfrid Laurier University; Nathan Jamieson, Director of Information Services, Six Nations Polytechnic; Rocco Passero, Chief Information Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Public Service; Janse Tolmie, Associate Vice-President of Information Technology, Durham College and Ontario Tech University
2023 Ontario Cyber Security Conference
In October 2023, we attended the 2023 Ontario Cyber Security Conference hosted by the Cyber Security Centre of Excellence and siberX. ORION CEO, Alfonso Licata, moderated a session for the higher education community entitled “The State of Cybersecurity in the Higher Education Sector” facilitating a discussion on best practices and strategies. ORION Chief Strategy Officer, Delilah Moysich, participated in the session, “Live Scenario: Public Sector Enterprise Breach” sharing valuable insights that highlighted the importance of preparedness and being proactive when managing a cyber incident. ORION’s participation provided an opportunity to contribute to the broader cybersecurity dialogue with our community.
ORION Facts & Figures
Thank you again for your dedication and support. Together, we can create a meaningful difference in the world and build a better future for everyone.
If you have questions about our services, suggestions for new programs, or want to share your thoughts, get in touch with us at communitydev@orion.on.ca. We look forward to hearing from you. Let’s continue to empower innovation for years to come.