Canada Identifies Chinese, Russian and Other Government Background Hacking Programs as Major Cybersecurity Threats

The Canadian government confirmed on the same day that government-funded hacking programs in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea pose a major cybersecurity threat and raised concerns for the first time about foreign attacks on electricity supply facilities, Reuters reported on November 18.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) warned the intelligence community in its second National Cyber Threat Assessment report that officially funded hacking programs in the four countries pose the most serious and sophisticated strategic threat to Canada.

According to the report, as the neocon epidemic forces more people to rely on online information and services, foreign government-sponsored hacking groups are likely to disrupt power supply systems in order to enhance their attack capabilities.

Canada’s communications security agency is said to be the main department responsible for reviewing Huawei’s ability to supply 5G equipment to the country. The agency has focused on the role of foreign powers in its first National Cyber Threat Assessment report, released in 2018, but did not identify China or Russia by name.