Stand on Guard: Reassessing Threats to Canada's National Security

by Stephanie Carvin

Overview

In Stand on Guard, Stephanie Carvin sets out to explain the range of activities considered national security threats by Canadian security services today. As new forms of terrorism and extremism appear, especially online, we need a responsibly widened view of such threats and how they manifest in the contemporary world. Canadians should not be more fearful, Carvin explains, but a more sophisticated understanding among security services personnel and the general public is needed if we are to anticipate and ameliorate threats to national security.

As a former security analyst tasked with providing threat assessments to high levels of government, Carvin writes with both authority and urgency. Her book presents an insider’s look at the issues facing the Canadian security and intelligence community. Timely and accessible, Stand on Guard will be required reading for scholars, practitioners, and any Canadian concerned about national security in the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487524517
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	05/07/2021
Series:	Munk Series on Global Affairs
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Stephanie Carvin is an assistant professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Violent Extremism – the Canadian Context

2. Violent Extremist Threats in Canada Today

3. Espionage

4. The Economy and National Security

5. Cyber Security

6. Clandestine Foreign Influence

7. Disinformation and Threats to Democratic Institutions

Conclusion

Appendix

What People are Saying About This

Amarnath Amarasingam

"While many of us are bombarded with national security news stories all the time, rarely are they so thoroughly examined, clearly presented, and made accessible for a general audience. Based on her deep understanding of the field, as a former practitioner and as an academic, Stephanie Carvin provides a nuanced and informed examination of the new threats facing Canada and what every Canadian needs to know going forward."

Thomas Juneau

"Stephanie Carvin has written the first and only book offering a comprehensive assessment of the range of threats that Canada faces today. This will be highly valuable for students, academics, members of the media, practitioners, and those in the general public who wish to better understand how Canada's threat environment has evolved."

Craig Forcese

"Canada deserves a sober-minded, thorough, and rigorous assessment of the national security challenges the country confronts in the 2020s. This artfully crafted book is that assessment. It should be at the elbows of all those involved in guarding Canada's security and in the hands of all those who wish for a deeper appreciation of the hard dilemmas of national security."

Bessma Momani

"An empirically rich book that will help better inform Canadian citizens, policymakers, and students on what constitutes a threat to national security, while pushing them to understand both the inherent political challenges faced by Canadian national security professionals and the social and normative value of transparency and building trust with impacted communities. This book also demonstrates the need for enhanced accountability to improve national security for a healthy liberal democracy."

Editorial Reviews

“Carvin’s book is more than a reminder that the world is not always a friendly place. It is also a plea. It asks that citizens — and, by extension, our elected officials and the security and intelligence services they oversee — take Canada’s national security more seriously than we have of late. ‘Canada finds itself in the most complex threat environment since the Second World War,’ Carvin writes. ‘Global leadership appears to be in flux, and the international order that defends the rules and norms under which Canada has prospered are no longer guaranteed.’ Her point isn’t to scare us but to remind us of our democratic responsibilities.”—Dan Dunsky, Open Canada

"While many of us are bombarded with national security news stories all the time, rarely are they so thoroughly examined, clearly presented, and made accessible for a general audience. Based on her deep understanding of the field, as a former practitioner and as an academic, Stephanie Carvin provides a nuanced and informed examination of the new threats facing Canada and what every Canadian needs to know going forward."

—Amarnath Amarasingam, School of Religion, Queen’s University

"Stephanie Carvin has written the first and only book offering a comprehensive assessment of the range of threats that Canada faces today. This will be highly valuable for students, academics, members of the media, practitioners, and those in the general public who wish to better understand how Canada's threat environment has evolved."

—Thomas Juneau, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa

"An empirically rich book that will help better inform Canadian citizens, policymakers, and students on what constitutes a threat to national security, while pushing them to understand both the inherent political challenges faced by Canadian national security professionals and the social and normative value of transparency and building trust with impacted communities. This book also demonstrates the need for enhanced accountability to improve national security for a healthy liberal democracy."

—Bessma Momani, Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo

"Canada deserves a sober-minded, thorough, and rigorous assessment of the national security challenges the country confronts in the 2020s. This artfully crafted book is that assessment. It should be at the elbows of all those involved in guarding Canada's security and in the hands of all those who wish for a deeper appreciation of the hard dilemmas of national security."

—Craig Forcese, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

From the Publisher

“Carvin's book is more than a reminder that the world is not always a friendly place. It is also a plea. It asks that citizens — and, by extension, our elected officials and the security and intelligence services they oversee — take Canada's national security more seriously than we have of late. 'Canada finds itself in the most complex threat environment since the Second World War,' Carvin writes. 'Global leadership appears to be in flux, and the international order that defends the rules and norms under which Canada has prospered are no longer guaranteed.' Her point isn't to scare us but to remind us of our democratic responsibilities.”

Open Canada - Dan Dunsky