Dennis Molinaro
Dennis Molinaro is a former national security analyst and policy advisor for the Canadian federal government. An author and an academic, he studies the history of security, counterintelligence, and foreign interference and he has taught courses on modern espionage, human rights law, and national security at several Canadian universities. He currently assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he teaches homeland security and intelligence, and cyber strategy. His writing appears in publications including The Walrus and The National Post. Molinaro lives in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Writers & Books
Award History
2026 - Finalist
Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
forUnder Assault: Interference and Espionage in China’s Secret War Against Canada
Jury Citation
“Under Assault arrives as foreign interference moves from the margins to the center of public debate in Canada and other Western democracies. Dennis Molinaro demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of espionage and counter-intelligence on the world stage, calling on his practical experiences as a national security analyst, policy advisor, and international historian. He exposes an absence of state policy on the matter, as most of Canada’s political leaders are unwilling to confront the problem, despite ongoing national and global conversations. Molinaro’s analysis is rigorous and persuasive, yet accessible to a general readership. He makes an important and difficult subject understandable without sacrificing nuance or complexity or resorting to fearmongering. Original, timely, and meticulously researched, this is a work of exceptional public importance.”—2026 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy Jury (Raymond B. Blake, Samantha Nutt, and Scott Young)Works Recognized by WT