In this episode of Wired for Change, Amy Yee sits down with Lieutenant Colonel Gary McQueen, NATO Section Head with Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command, to explore how Canada participates in multinational cyber defence exercises such as Locked Shields and Cyber Coalition.

While many people picture military cooperation as ships at sea or aircraft flying in formation, today some of the most consequential coordination happens in the cyber domain — under intense time pressure and across more than 40 nations.

These large-scale exercises simulate complex cyber incidents affecting air defence systems, power grids, hospital networks, and other critical infrastructure. But beyond the technical scenarios, they test something equally important: trust, interoperability, legal coordination, strategic decision-making, and alliance resilience.

Together, Amy and Gary discuss:

• What NATO cyber defence exercises actually look like in practice
• How technical, legal, communications, and strategic teams work together
• Why decision-making under pressure matters in cyber operations
• How Canada builds capability through participation with allies
• What “collective defence” means in a digitally interconnected world

As cyber becomes a core domain of modern defence, preparation depends not only on technology — but on relationships, coordination, and shared learning across allied nations.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
02:05 – Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command
06:40 – Locked Shields & Cyber Coalition
13:10 – Simulating Real-World Cyber Incidents
19:40 – Decision-Making Under Pressure
26:15 – Legal, Strategic & Communications Roles
32:30 – Interoperability Across Nations
39:00 – Canada’s Capability Development
45:00 – The Future of Collective Defence