Canadian Wholesale Distributor Strengthens Cyber Resilience Through Comprehensive Awareness and Communications Training Program
The Challenge
MapleBridge Distribution, a national wholesale distributor of consumer goods and industrial supplies, faced rising cybersecurity risk due to low awareness among warehouse, logistics, and sales personnel. Despite strong governance and IT controls, incidents caused by human error, such as mishandled client data, phishing responses, and insecure password practices, remained the leading cause of disruptions.
An internal audit revealed that over one-third of employees were unaware of data handling protocols under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Moreover, siloed communication between corporate offices, distribution centers, and IT support teams led to inconsistent responses during security incidents. Client and insurer reviews noted that lack of structured awareness programs and communication frameworks could compromise compliance certification and jeopardize supplier contracts.
Leadership recognized that sustainable cyber resilience required cultural transformation, moving beyond technology to focus on employee behaviour, clear communication, and continuous engagement across the organization.
Our Solution
Our Awareness and Communications Training team developed a sector-tailored Cyber Awareness and Communications Enablement Program designed specifically for wholesale and distribution environments. The initiative began with a baseline culture and communication audit to assess behavioural risks, awareness gaps, and training effectiveness across warehouse, sales, and back-office operations.
Key actions included:
– Development of a tiered Cyber Awareness Curriculum addressing phishing, privacy, secure order management, and incident communication protocols.
– Launch of an internal “CyberSmart Distribution” campaign, incorporating visual workplace reminders, interactive modules, and gamified learning experiences.
– Implementation of an executive and supervisor communication playbook to ensure clarity and consistency during incidents or compliance audits.
– Deployment of a centralized awareness dashboard tracking participation rates, phishing simulation results, and department-level performance.
– Delivery of quarterly simulations and awareness refreshers, ensuring ongoing engagement and readiness validation.
All materials were aligned with PIPEDA, ISO/IEC 27001, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework (Awareness and Training) standards to ensure that every employee understood their role in protecting client and operational data.
The Value
Within six months, MapleBridge achieved significant cultural and operational improvements:
– 90% participation in mandatory cybersecurity awareness training within the first quarter.
– 65% reduction in phishing incidents and data mishandling errors.
– Full compliance validation under PIPEDA and ISO/IEC 27001 during insurer and client audits.
– 50% faster communication response times between operations, IT, and legal teams during incident simulations.
– Enhanced client and regulatory confidence, reflected in new long-term supply contracts and lower cyber insurance premiums.
By embedding awareness and communication practices into everyday operations, MapleBridge transformed cybersecurity from an IT concern into a shared business value, strengthening trust, accountability, and operational resilience.
Implementation Roadmap
1. Assessment (Weeks 1–3): Conduct baseline awareness and communication survey; identify behavioural and workflow risks.
2. Program Design (Weeks 4–6): Develop tailored awareness curriculum, playbooks, and communication toolkits.
3. Deployment (Weeks 7–12): Launch awareness campaign, deliver training sessions, and activate dashboards for tracking.
4. Reinforcement (Weeks 13–16): Conduct phishing simulations, gather feedback, and issue performance reports.
5. Continuous Improvement (Ongoing): Update training quarterly, maintain reporting dashboards, and integrate metrics into compliance reviews.
