Blog
May 21, 2026
The Age of Radicalization is Getting Younger
The age of radicalization is getting younger CSIS released its public report this month. One thing that stood out was the continued focus on youth radicalization. One of the biggest misconceptions about radicalization is that people imagine it starts with an ideology, but in many cases, it doesn’t. It starts with vulnerability. Isolation, anger, identity struggles, mental health concerns, the search for belonging…Online communities are incredibly effective at finding people in those moments and giving them a sense of purpose, even if that purpose is destructive. During my time at CSIS, it often felt like the ideology was secondary. Whether it was extremism tied to religion, politics or whatever else, the underlying pattern could look surprisingly similar. What’s concerning is how young some of these individuals appear to be when becoming exposed. The internet dramatically accelerated access. Some recent arrests connected to the synagogue shootings in Toronto appear to reflect that trend, which is troubling.
Residential fortification is becoming more common
I can’t remember receiving this many calls about residential fortification measures, and it’s coming from a wide range of people. Some of this is clearly being driven by recent home invasions and the visibility those incidents received online. But more broadly, there seems to be a growing feeling among many people that they are increasingly responsible for their own security. On this note, we’ve continued to see an increase in requests related to residential security, but what stands out is the type of measures people are asking for. Home alarms and cameras are nothing new. There is growing interest in physical hardening measures: security window film, reinforced doors, upgraded locks, cages over exterior access points, and motion sensor alarms. That shift matters. People don’t usually fortify their homes unless they believe there’s a real possibility someone might try to get in, and that says a lot.
The front line of foreign interference are often civilians
As Canada continues expanding trade relationships beyond the United States, including with countries tied to foreign interference and transnational repression concerns, there’s an uncomfortable reality that often gets overlooked: the targets are frequently not government institutions. They are people of the diaspora within our communities living here in Canada. Canada is somewhat unique in having large communities made up of people who left countries specifically because of political pressure, corruption, intimidation, or repression. And in some cases, those pressures appear to follow them here. Recent cases involving a former RCMP officer accused of assisting the PRC with its “Fox Hunt” activities, along with ongoing concerns surrounding IRGC-linked individuals in Canada and pressure directed at the local Persian community, are reminders that these issues continue to exist here at home. When people think of foreign state activity or “sleeper cells”, they often imagine attacks against infrastructure or government institutions. In reality, the targets are often members of their own communities abroad. As Canada continues expanding international relationships, security considerations must remain part of that conversation.