Traf Voices

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• Nothing Surprises Mr. Picard

  10/28/2025
  Joël Grégoire-Picard
  Version française ci-dessous
  
  When you ask Joël Grégoire-Picard what surprises him when he thinks about cybersecurity and keeping data private and safe online, he doesn’t hold back. “Nothing surprises me anymore,” he laughs. “Usually, I’m just disappointed.”
  
  It’s the kind of humour that he brings to his role, but behind the jokes is a deep sense of purpose. As the IT Coordinator and Privacy Officer at Trafalgar, Mr. Picard spends his days balancing the invisible workings of technology with the very visible needs of a busy school. One minute, he’s making sure the Wi-Fi behaves; the next, he’s reading the fine print of an app’s privacy policy, line by painstaking line.
  
  “I actually read the terms and conditions,” he says, “because if we’re using an app or a program with students, I need to know what data they’re collecting. I can’t assume a company is doing the right thing just because they say they are.”
  
  “It’s an opportunity to remind us all about the things many of us already know but often forget.”
  
  That skepticism isn’t cynicism; it’s experience. It’s also the reason why Cyber Awareness Month, which takes place throughout October, matters so much to him. Mr. Picard explains that it is “an opportunity to remind us all about things many of us already know but often forget.”
  
  Phishing attempts, suspicious links, weak passwords: it’s the same advice that has been circulating for years. But to Mr. Picard, the difference lies in whether people actually apply it.
  
  “Cyber awareness isn’t just about technology,” he says. “It’s about behaviour. You can have the best security systems in the world, but if someone in your network clicks a bad link, those systems that were put in place don’t matter.”
  
  That human side of cybersecurity, with the mix of good habits, curiosity, and caution, is what he hopes to nurture within the Trafalgar school community.
  
  For Mr. Picard, Cyber Awareness Month isn’t a box to check. It’s an annual reminder that vigilance needs to become part of our culture.
  
  “If We Say It’s a Losing Battle, Then What Are We Even Doing? We’re educators. Our whole job is to teach people how to do better.”
  
  When asked whether it feels like a losing fight, trying to keep up with hackers who keep getting smarter,  Mr. Picard shakes his head.
  
  “There are two battles,” he says. “The tech battle and the human one. On the tech side, defences are always improving. The human battle is harder, but if we say it’s a lost cause, then what are we even doing here? We’re educators. Our whole job is to teach people how to do better.”
  
  Advice for the Real World
  Ask Mr. Picard for one piece of advice, and he doesn’t hesitate. “Use a password manager,” he says, almost pleadingly.
  
  “I’ve worked at Apple, at insurance companies, at software firms, and everywhere it’s the same thing. No one remembers their passwords. People write them on sticky notes or keep them in their phones. A password manager saves so much pain. One password, that’s it.”
  
  And for parents? His tone turns serious.
  
  “They have to say no, as hard as it is, when it comes to phones and social media.”  He continues, “In Quebec, companies can’t collect data from anyone under 14 without parental consent. But the system can easily be fooled by lying about your age to get on social media or other websites that can collect your personal information. Parents let it slide because ‘everyone else is doing it.’ But that early habit of giving away personal data without understanding what it means, well, it can be a problem.”
  
  “Years ago, there was outrage about surveillance and data collection. Now, we just hand it over. We’ve become numb to it.”
  
  The Bigger Picture
  When asked about the future of technology in schools, Mr. Picard circles back to privacy.
  
  “AI will evolve,” he says, “but the real conversation should be about data: who owns it, who profits from it, and what we’re giving away for free.”
  
  He points out that companies like Snapchat make billions entirely from user data. “They don’t charge you for the app,” he says. “You’re the product. They make money off your information. And most people don’t even blink.”
  That complacency, he worries, is the true threat. “Years ago, there was outrage about surveillance and data collection. Now, we just hand it over. We’ve become numb to it.”
  
  The Educator’s Edge
  At heart, Mr. Picard sees cybersecurity the same way he sees education: an ongoing, collective act of awareness. “If one person learns to spot a phishing email, and then they tell someone else, and then that person tells someone else, that’s how it spreads. That’s our herd immunity,” he says.
  
  And when he says “nothing surprises me anymore,” it’s not a shrug of resignation. It’s a call to stay alert, to stay informed, and to keep teaching.
  
  Because in the end, the goal isn’t just safer technology. It’s a more informed community: one password, one conversation, one curious student at a time.
  Lire en français