Frequently Asked Questions
How listings, reviews, badges, and moderation work on Security Standards Canada. Straight answers about what money can and cannot do here.
The short version: listings are free and ranked on merit, reviews cannot be bought off, badges cannot be bought at all, and nothing gets quietly deleted. The long version is below.
How do companies get listed?
Two ways. We add companies because they are relevant to Canadian security, networking, or infrastructure work, or a company submits itself for consideration. Every submission is assessed on the same criteria: is the company real and active, is it relevant to Canadian practice, and can its details be verified. Listing is free and inclusion is not for sale.
Does paying change a listing’s ranking?
No. Organic order reflects relevance and technical merit. Paid options exist (a richer profile, labeled placement, banner advertising), but they are always labeled and always separate from the merit-based order. A company cannot buy a higher organic position, a badge, or the removal of an accurate statement.
Can a company edit its own listing?
Yes. Claim the listing using the "Is this you?" link on the listing page. You will get a private edit link by email. Every proposed change is reviewed by our team before it goes live.
Can a listing be deleted?
Not through self-serve, by design. Removal requests go to contact@securitystandards.ca so a human can verify that the request comes from the company and consider the context. This exists to stop a listing from being quietly deleted to bury its history, and it protects companies from malicious removal requests too.
How do reviews work?
Anyone with real experience of a company can submit a review. Reviews are moderated before they appear, to filter spam, fake accounts, and conflicts of interest, not to filter honesty. A legitimate negative review will be published and will stay published.
Can a company pay to remove a bad review?
No. Review deletion is not a product, at any price, on any package. If a review is factually false, defamatory, or violates our guidelines, either party can flag it to contact@securitystandards.ca with evidence and we will investigate. Legitimate reviews do not come down because the subject is unhappy with them.
What do the badges mean, and can they be bought?
Verified means we confirmed the company is real and its core details check out. Cybersecurity best practices means the company publicly follows recognized practices such as signed firmware and coordinated disclosure. Canadian-made means it designs, manufactures, or operates in Canada. Badges are editorial decisions based on evidence. The verification review fee pays for the review work, never the outcome, and a company that fails does not get the badge.
How is advertising kept separate from editorial?
Every paid placement is labeled. Sponsored and featured slots are visually separated from organic results. Banner ads are marked as advertisements and reviewed before going live. Our advertising policy and methodology are public, and coverage decisions are never part of an ad deal.
How do I correct an error?
Write to contact@securitystandards.ca with the page and the correction, or use the claim link on the listing. Include a source if you have one. We review every report and fix confirmed errors promptly. See the corrections policy for details.
Who writes the content?
Articles are written and reviewed by the Security Standards Canada editorial team, with primary-source citations on technical content. Guest contributions from industry practitioners are welcome and always carry the author’s own byline. See the editorial policy for sourcing rules.
Something we did not cover? Ask at contact@securitystandards.ca, or read the methodology, editorial policy, and advertising policy.