The Canadian Security Intelligence Agency (CSIS) cited Russia and China as particular cause for concern, saying that the major threats to national security, such as violent extremism, foreign interference, espionage and malicious cyber activities, were increasing in 2020 and “ in many ways becoming Canadians. “
Foreign threat actors – including hostile intelligence agencies and those working on their behalf – have sought to exploit the social and economic conditions created by the pandemic, “to gather valuable information,” he said.
The report was the last report from the Canadian intelligence community that focused on Russia and China.
The head of CSIS said in February that China posed a serious strategic threat, while in November last year the intelligence agency first identified state-sponsored programs in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as threats to cybercrime.
“In 2020, CSIS observed espionage and foreign interference at levels not seen since the Cold War,” said CSIS.
“China, Russia and other foreign states continued to covertly collect political, economic and military information in Canada through targeted threat activities in support of their own development goals.”