China ‘pre-positioning’ in U.S. networks for a potential conflict: Canadian agency

Beijing-linked hackers are “very likely” uncovering their mode into U.S. captious infrastructure networks to “pre-position” for a imaginable struggle with America, according to Canada’s cyber quality agency.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is apt integrating cyber operations into its subject readying “to summation an vantage … successful the lawsuit of a large situation oregon struggle with the U.S.” The “pre-positioning” refers to gaining entree to networks successful bid to exploit them if the request arises.

Because of Canada’s transportation to captious infrastructure networks successful the U.S. — specified arsenic the transportation, vigor and telecommunications sectors — CSE warned successful their yearly cyber menace study that the alleged compromises are a menace to Canada, too.

“According to U.S. officials, the PRC’s cognition is designed to dilatory the U.S. military’s effect and to sow societal panic” successful the lawsuit of conflict, the study suggested.

“While the absorption of aboriginal PRC cyber warfare operations volition apt beryllium concentrated connected the U.S., disruptive oregon destructive cyber menace enactment against integrated North American captious infrastructure … would apt impact Canada arsenic good owed to cross-border interoperability and interdependence.”

Allegations that hostile nations are “pre-positioning” themselves successful Canadian oregon allied machine networks are not new, and CSE has spoken publically astir the menace successful the past.

But the stark connection successful the study — that a Beijing-linked hacking radical known arsenic “Volt Typhoon” is “almost certainly” already trying to interruption into U.S. networks arsenic mentation for a perchance important struggle betwixt the 2 satellite superpowers — is striking successful itself.

“Volt Typhoon is particularly noteworthy due to the fact that the PRC has not historically conducted disruptive oregon destructive cyber operations against captious infrastructure,” the study noted.

The study besides revealed that implicit the past 4 years, 20 networks “associated” with Canadian authorities departments and agencies person been compromised by PRC-linked hacking groups.

The authorities of China remains the astir “comprehensive” menace to Canadian networks, according to the CSE, and has mounted an “expansive and assertive cyber program” that includes surveillance, espionage and “attack capabilities.”

“PRC state-sponsored cyber menace actors persistently behaviour cyber espionage against federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous authorities networks successful Canada,” the study read.

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“PRC cyber menace actors person compromised and maintained entree to aggregate authorities networks implicit the past 5 years, collecting communications and different invaluable information. While each known national authorities compromises person been resolved, it is precise apt that the actors liable for these intrusions dedicated important clip and resources to larn astir the people networks.”

While China remains the biggest menace actor, according to Canadian intelligence, the Indian authorities did merit immoderate attraction successful CSE’s 2024 report.

Canada-India relations person been strained successful caller months aft the assassination of Sikh independency activistic and Canadian national Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian quality officials and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau person suggested that they person accusation that Nijjar’s sidesplitting was connected to Indian authorities officials, including now-expelled diplomats who were operating successful Canada.

But from CSE’s perspective, the Indian government’s quality to equine cyber attacks oregon exfiltrate accusation appears constricted astatine this stage.

“India’s enactment astir surely aspires to physique a modernized cyber programme with home cyber capabilities,” the CSE study reads, suggesting the bureau does not judge the state presently has a “modern” cyber program.

“We measure that Indian state-sponsored cyber menace actors apt behaviour cyber menace enactment against Government of Canada networks for the intent of espionage. We justice that authoritative bilateral relations betwixt Canada and India volition precise apt thrust Indian state-sponsored cyber menace enactment against Canada.”