Agencies warn of foreign espionage
“Non-likeminded countries” might look to access secrets
OTTAWA — Canadian companies should watch out when they use technology supplied by stateowned companies from countries that want to steal corporate secrets, the country’s security agencies have warned them.
The RCMP organized two workshops last March — one in Calgary, the other in Toronto — to raise awareness about threats to critical systems, including espionage and foreign interference, cyberattacks, terrorism and sabotage, newly disclosed documents show.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service materials prepared for the workshops advise that “non-likeminded countries,” stateowned enterprises and affiliated companies are engaged in a global pursuit of technology and know-how driven by economic and military ambitions.
The materials were released to The Canadian Press in response to an access-to-information request.
The heavily censored records do not go into detail about specific countries.
However, the presentation does include a passage from a 2017 U.S. government report saying competitors such as China steal American intellectual property valued at hundreds of billions of dollars every year.
In addition, CSIS openly warned in 2016 that Russia and China were targeting Canada’s classified information and advanced technology, as well as government officials and systems.
The presentations to industry dissected techniques used by adversaries and offered advice on protecting confidential information and assets.
The intelligence community’s concerns emerge as Canada considers allowing Chinese firm Huawei Technologies to take part in developing a 5G telecommunications network.
Former security officials in Canada and two members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have warned against such a move, saying the company’s ties to Beijing could compromise the security of Canada and its closest allies.
Huawei has denied engaging in intelligence work on behalf of any government.
The workshops led by the RCMP’s critical infrastructure team highlighted the problem of “supply chain vulnerability” — a backdoor tactic to infiltrate systems.
The RCMP did not respond to questions about the sessions. CSIS spokesperson John Townsend said the concerns stem from cases where equipment and related computerized control systems and services are manufactured and installed by companies controlled by or affiliated with a foreign government.
“These foreign governments may pursue not only profitable commercial objectives but may also try to advance their own broader and potentially adverse strategic and economic interests,” he said.