Borealis Threat & Risk ConsultingPhil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. Phil is a 32-year veteran of CSE and CSIS and the author of six books on terrorism.
Episode 270 – Is drone warfare changing how we see armed conflict? If the war in Ukraine is teaching us anything it is that drones – both surveillance ones as well as those that fire missiles at the enemy – are changing the landscape. Their small size, cheapness (i.e. they are not expensive to build […]
Episode 269 – Post October 2023 Hamas attack violence against Jews is growing The Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023 was a horrendous blow to that nation and proportionately bigger than 9/11. And yet, unlike the attack on the US, it was celebrated by many in the West as a legitimate action. […]
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times Canada on March 15, 2025. Ah, the internet and social media! Thanks to one of the greatest developments in communications history, we have at our disposal a series of tools that should, in theory at least, have led to the promotion and sharing of a near-infinite treasure […]
Spies Like Us – Season 2 Episode 31: the election episode In the guys’ election episode they talk about where the debate on national security has been during the campaign (hint, hint: nowhere) and why you should not mark your ballot with the eraser end of the pencil. Also why Spies Like Us is ‘inSITEful’! […]
Episode 268 – France appears to suffer from a much higher terrorist threat than other Western nations Of all the nations normally associated with the ‘West’, France is the one which seems to dominate the headlines when it comes to terrorism. Bataclan/Stade de France (2015), Nice (2016), Charlie Hebdo, teacher beheadings…the list goes on and […]
Episode 267 – How do prime ministers deal with national security crises? Sir John A Macdonald was Canada’s first Prime Minister and a ‘Father’ of Confederation. And yet a figure of that importance has suffered a great deal in recent years over his role in the residential schools system for First Nations children, with statues […]
Spies Like Us: Season 2 Episode 30: Spies Move ‘N Shake The guys are joined for coffee by former Toronto 18 terrorist cell human source Mubin Shaikh to talk about what he did and why he did it. Al shares some stories about growing up in Winnipeg cutting weed with goat shit and for some […]
Episode 266 – With all the advantages of online info there are serious drawbacks Can you imagine a world without the Internet and social media platforms? Pretty hard, eh? And yet for all the good it has brought us – access to information from everywhere and helpful links to solve questions, not to mention keeping […]
Spies Like Us Season 2 Episode 29: The right to free-dumb This week the guys look into two recent cases of ‘right-wing’ extremism in Canada with very different results. They also have a real beer rather than a virtual one! Oh, and Phil has a new nickname. Alternative links Substack Spotify
Episode 265 – It is best to look a gift Russian mercenary in the mouth Fighting terrorists is hard work. Many countries have sought alliances, both political and military, to pool resources to engage in this struggle. In some cases, allies have been kicked out, only to be replaced by brutal criminal gangs – a.k.a. […]