Victoria Police Department
Home / Blog / VicPD Opens Unique Cybercrime Prevention Initiative to Small Business Applicants in the City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt

VicPD Opens Unique Cybercrime Prevention Initiative to Small Business Applicants in the City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt

News Releases
Date Published: 28 Jan 2026, Last Updated: 18 Feb 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2026 Victoria, B.C. – Amid rising concern with online security threats, the Victoria Police Department is taking new applications from small businesses in the communities of Victoria and Esquimalt for an initiative aimed at proactively reducing the risk of becoming a victim to cybercrime – which is unique in Canada. The VicPD Local Business Cyber Safety Assessments initiative supports small businesses in Victoria and Esquimalt on a voluntary basis, free of charge. Members from VicPD’s Cybercrime and IT Units will visit participating businesses to assess their online infrastructure and network setup and consult with them on a three-step process: 

  1. Initial Visit: Explains the assessment process, obtains consent, and conducts an early review. 

  1. Network Scan: VicPD IT staff conducts a secure scan of the businesses’ public-facing systems – such as websites and emails. 

  1. Security Report: Cybercrime investigators and IT staff provide a summary of the findings and gives recommendations to help the business improve cybersecurity resilience. 

“I would say that every single business that we’ve looked at so far, we’ve helped close at least one vulnerability that could have led to financial loss, ransomware, or a data breach,” said the program’s creator, VicPD Det. Vlad Filatov.  This unique initiative quietly launched in August 2025 and has since completed reviews for several local businesses in our jurisdiction – and is now ready to grow on a larger scale. “We really appreciated the cyber safety assessment. It helped us identify areas to strengthen and gave us a clear jumping-off point for ongoing conversations about improving our cyber safety,” said one of the small business participants. “We’d absolutely recommend other businesses take part to better understand their own cyber safety needs.” The program was partly inspired by Det. Filatov’s observations conducting cybercrime investigations for VicPD. He noticed a trend in reports where attackers were gaining access to business networks through outdated or unpatched systems, as well as through compromised accounts that lacked multi-factor authentication. “This is exactly the kind of scenario that can lead to funds being intercepted or misdirected during business transactions,” said Filatov. “By identifying these vulnerabilities early, we can work with businesses to strengthen their defenses and reduce the risk of falling victim to such cyber-enabled fraud.” Cybercrime is much harder to solve after it happens. The program is a judgement-free and confidential tool for the jurisdiction’s hardworking business community. The information could also help investigators identify emerging trends and potential needs for greater community awareness messaging. Small business owners who are interested in the service are encouraged to apply via email at [email protected]. Investigators will reach out to selected applicants for a consultation, prior to visiting the business. You can find more information, tips, and resources on cybercrime on the following link to our website: https://vicpd.ca/crime-prevention/cybercrime/. 
Tags
Victoria
Home All Posts