The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) singled out Russia and China as particular causes of concern, saying major national security threats such as violent extremism, foreign interference, espionage and malicious cyber-activity had grown by 2020 and had become much more serious for Canadians in many ways. ‘
‘Foreign threat actors – including hostile intelligence services and those working on their behalf – have sought to exploit the social and economic conditions created by the pandemic’ to gather valuable information.
The report was the latest from Canada’s intelligence community to focus on Russia and China.
The head of CSIS said in February that China posed a serious strategic threat, while the signaling agency last November for the first time identified state-sponsored programs in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as cybercrime threats.
“By 2020, CSIS has observed espionage and foreign interference activity at levels not seen since the Cold War,” CSIS said.
“China, Russia and other foreign states have continued to gather political, economic and military information in Canada through targeted threat activities in support of their own state development goals.”