Threatscape - Mapping global risks in a changing world

In this episode, we sit down with Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Global Security, to explore the growing security importance of critical infrastructure, particularly undersea cables and their role in economic resilience.

Jonathan discusses why infrastructure once seen as purely commercial is now increasingly viewed through a national security lens, highlighting key gaps policymakers still need to address when responding to emerging risks. He also reflects on how partners such as Japan are approaching economic security and infrastructure protection differently from North America and Europe, and what this means for Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Finally, we examine the challenges of attribution in hybrid threats and identify practical opportunities for Canada and Japan to strengthen cooperation on critical infrastructure resilience.

In this episode, we sit down with Alex Dalziel, Senior Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Global Security,  to discuss the future of subsea connectivity and the strategic importance of Arctic infrastructure in an evolving security landscape.

Alex explores how hybrid threats and grey-zone tactics complicate the protection of subsea cables, particularly in regions shaped by climate change, increased economic activity, and geopolitical rivalry. He also examines the challenges of attribution when disruptions occur, and what resilience looks like in practice when designing infrastructure for contested environments. Finally, we discuss the role Canada can play in shaping Arctic connectivity and why a whole-of-society approach is essential for protecting critical infrastructure in remote regions.

In this episode, we sit down with Benoit Hardy-Chartrand, Senior Lecturer at Temple University Japan and Adjunct Professor at the United Nations University Tokyo, to examine Japan’s evolving security outlook amid an increasingly complex geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific. Benoit discusses recent shifts in Japan’s defence posture, including increased spending and updated strategic frameworks, and what these changes reveal about Japan’s assessment of regional risks.

He also explores the growing importance of economic security in shaping resilience and strategic vulnerability, as well as Japan’s relationships with key partners such as the United States, Australia, and South Korea. Finally, we consider where Canada and Japan can deepen cooperation on shared strategic priorities and what developments policymakers should be watching in the years ahead.

In this episode, we sit down with Athena Tong, Visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo and a Research Associate & Programme Lead at the China Strategic Risks Institute, to explore the strategic importance of submarine cables as critical infrastructure within today’s geopolitical competition.

Athena explains why these systems have become increasingly vulnerable, particularly in regions such as Taiwan and Japan’s southwestern islands, where growing military and maritime pressures complicate infrastructure security. She discusses the challenge policymakers face in distinguishing between accidental disruptions and deliberate sabotage, and how dual-use commercial infrastructure can complicate risk assessments. Finally, we examine emerging connectivity corridors and the potential for new routes, including those linking Asia and Europe through Canada’s Arctic, to strengthen global resilience and economic security.

In this episode, we sit down with Farlina Said, Fellow and Team Lead in the Cyber and Technology Policy programme at Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Malaysia) to explore all things cyber security, including how we should distinguish between cyber security and cyber stability. Ms. Said discusses the cyber security landscape in 2025, including the challenges that countries face when looking to defend themselves against cyberattacks, as well as the international communities’ difficulty in regulating the international rules of the cyber domain. She also touches on what gives her hope for the future when looking at these issues. Finally, we discuss ASEAN and whether Canada is in a place to partner with ASEAN countries on this issue, and within the Indo-Pacific region more broadly.