Government secrets spilled again
As part of their vendetta against the Canadian government, hackers with Anonymous have leaked another high-level federal document — about the redevelopment of Canada’s key diplomatic centres in Britain — that the National Post has confirmed is an authentic and official confidential document.
This is the second document leaked by a cell of the shadowy hacktivist group, raising questions about how Canada’s secure infrastructure was breached and whether more secrets are at stake.
The latest document discusses government cost overruns — but an eventual anticipated profit — from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ selling, relocating and refurbishing of Canada’s diplomatic buildings in London, one of its last major acts under former minister John Baird.
The Treasury Board of Canada document is dated Feb. 6, 2014, the same as one released in July by the same group. The first document revealed the closely guarded secret of the specific size of Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s network of foreign stations and problems with their outdated cybersecurity. Both documents have now been confirmed as authentic by a knowledgeable government source. The Post also confirmed the federal government has mounted an internal investigation to determine how the documents got into the hands of activists.
The latest release is designed to influence the federal election, said an Anonymous spokesman in encrypted communication with the Post.
Anonymous says there are other documents, promising a slow release in an attempt to pressure the government over the fatal shooting of a protester in B.C. and the passing of Bill C-51, a controversial anti-terrorism bill.
That said, on its face, the document does not offer much in the way of scandal — the Treasury Board approved Foreign Affairs’ plan, saying the contracting process was fair and the arrangement would reduce operating costs and boost revenues.