Ottawa: Canada’s signals intelligence agency, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), issued a stark warning on Wednesday, labeling Chinese cyber activity as the most aggressive and active state-sponsored threat to Canada. This latest threat assessment highlights clandestine actions by Beijing, citing espionage, intellectual property theft, and attempts to exert malign influence as key objectives of the Chinese cyber program.
The report also identifies Russia and Iran as significant cyber threats, with Russian efforts specifically aiming to destabilize Canada and its allies. These findings come amid strained relations between Canada and China. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that China attempted to interfere in Canada’s last two federal elections, further fueling diplomatic tensions.
“The PRC’s expansive and aggressive cyber program presents the most sophisticated and active state cyber threat to Canada today,” the CSE assessment states, underlining China’s strategic goals of political and economic influence through cyber operations.
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The scale and ambition of China’s hacking operations are described as “second to none,” with CSE reporting that Beijing’s efforts support high-level political and commercial agendas, along with transnational repression. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa has not yet responded to the report.
This is not the first time Canadian agencies have voiced concerns over cyber threats from China. In May, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned that repeated interference by Chinese operatives could weaken Canadian democratic processes, further emphasizing the high-stakes cyber rivalry between Ottawa and Beijing.
