New course aims to scale up Canada’s financial crimes and countermeasures workforce

In today’s digital age, financial crimes have become a significant threat to the global economy. They disrupt market stability, compromise security systems, cause monetary losses and undermine organizational trust and credibility. A recent study by TransUnion estimates that fraudulent activity toward financial organizations increased by 150% between 2020 and 2021. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased financial crimes generated more demand for highly skilled professionals who can identify and mitigate the associated risks.

This increased demand means that across every sector and size, Canadian businesses are unable to recruit and retain financial crimes and countermeasure specialists who can help them keep pace with new and emerging IT solutions. They’re all competing for the same small pool of information communication technology (ICT) specialists, ranging from analysts and financial investigators to compliance managers and forensic accountants.

To help scale up Canada’s financial crimes and countermeasures workforce, the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University has introduced a new Financial Crimes and Countermeasures course through Lassonde Professional Development. Starting October 2, this 11-week course aims to provide participants with a thorough understanding of financial crimes, their implications and countermeasures. Learners will be able to identify different types of financial crimes and their emerging patterns, key challenges when implementing risk management, technologies to combat financial crimes, and risks stemming from blockchain and virtual currencies.

According to Global Tech Council, related employment within the sector increased by 350% from 2014 to 2021 and continues to grow. For example, cybersecurity analyst jobs are expected to increase by more than 10% between 2021-2025, according to Ontario Labour Market Information (LMI) Data.

If Canada doesn’t act quickly to address these acute ICT sector skills gaps, businesses and individuals are at risk of falling behind. This course is an opportunity for interested participants to grow their careers or enter an in-demand field.

For more information visit the Lassonde Professional Development website.