Canada predicts hacking from India as diplomatic feud escalates

By Thomas Seal

Canada is bracing for Indian government-backed hacking as the two nations’ diplomatic relationship nosedives to its lowest ebb in a generation.

“We judge that official bilateral relations between Canada and India will very likely drive Indian state-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada,” the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security said in its annual threat report published Wednesday, adding that such hackers are probably already conducting cyber-espionage.

This month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet and Canadian police have ramped up a remarkable campaign of public condemnations against India, accusing Narendra Modi’s officials of backing a wave of violence and extortion against Canadians on Canadian soil — particularly those who agitate for carving out a separate Sikh state in India called Khalistan.

India has rejected the accusations and believes some Khalistan activists to be terrorists harbored by Canada.

Days after Trudeau first publicly linked India to the murder of Canadian citizen and pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in September 2023, pro-India “hacktivists” took credit for nuisance cyberattacks against Canadian sites.

Still, China is by far the top cyber threat to Canada, the center said in its report. Its hackers have compromised “at least 20 networks” associated with Canada’s government in the past four years, and they’ve “very likely stolen commercially sensitive data from Canadian firms and institutions.”

The report also highlights threats from Russia, Iran and North Korea.