The Security Intelligence Service of Canada (CSIS) pointed to Russia and China as special causes for concern and said key threats to national security such as violent extremism, foreign interference, espionage and malicious cyber activity grew in 2020 and “in many ways became much more serious for Canadians.”
“Actors from foreign threats, including hostile intelligence services and those working on their behalf, have tried to exploit the economic and social conditions created by the pandemic” to gather valuable information, he said.
The report was the latest from the Canadian intelligence community that focused on Russia and China.
The head of the CSIS said in February that China posed a serious strategic threat, while the signal intelligence agency last November identified state-sponsored programs in China, Russia, Iran and Korea. of the North as cybercrime threats for the first time.
“In 2020, the CSIS observed espionage and foreign interference at levels not seen since the Cold War,” the CSIS said.
“China, Russia and other foreign states continued to secretly collect political, economic and military information in Canada through specific threat activities in support of their own state development goals.”