Canadian Foreign Ministry Hit by Cyberattack for Second Time in Two Years

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is responsible for protecting government departments from unwanted intrusions, and cybersecurity expert David Shipley believes a foreign country is likely behind the hack. Shipley speculated that a nation state, such as Russia or China, may be the culprit and expressed the need to call out such violations of international norms once the perpetrators are identified. He also mentioned that the standard response to contain the damage of such cyberattacks is to shut down remote access, as seen in the case of the Global Affairs cyber incident.

Canada has endured previous cyber disruptions affecting its government, and CSE has warned of possible cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, indicating the constant targeting of Canadian government computers. The efforts by Russia and China to disrupt elections and carry out disinformation campaigns have been highlighted as increasing threats, especially in the lead-up to Canada’s next federal election scheduled for 2025, as tensions between Ottawa and Beijing continue to rise.

The Canadian Foreign Ministry faces a second cyberattack in two years, leading to the closure of remote network access nationwide. The hackers accessed personal data, prompting speculation from a cybersecurity expert that a foreign nation may be behind the attack. He emphasized the need to call out such violations of international norms once the perpetrators are identified. Canada has experienced previous cyber disruptions, and warnings regarding cyber threats in the lead-up to the next federal election have been issued by the Communications Security Establishment.