In its annual threat assessment, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has identified India as a “state adversary,” categorizing it alongside China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The report highlights concerns regarding state-sponsored hacking and cyber-espionage attempts emanating from India, driven largely by the current tensions in bilateral relations between Canada and India.
The assessment explicitly states, “We judge that official bilateral relations between Canada and India will very likely drive Indian state-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada.” The report expresses alarm at India’s evolving cyber capabilities, noting that “countries that aspire to become new centres of power within the global system, such as India, are building cyber programmes that present varying levels of threat to Canada.”
This characterization follows significant diplomatic tensions, particularly after Canada’s investigation into the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and alleged Khalistani terrorist, in British Columbia. In response, India has recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats who were identified as “persons of interest” in the investigation.
The report further assesses that Indian state-sponsored cyber threat actors are likely conducting espionage against Canadian government networks. This assertion has been echoed on social media, with critics of the Trudeau government stating that, “Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment for 2025-26 includes India for the first time alongside China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It is clear Canada is treating India as an adversary.”
Additionally, while addressing cyber threats, the report underscores that China’s aggressive hacking activities remain the most pressing state cyber threat to Canada. The agency states, “The PRC’s expansive and aggressive cyber programme presents the most sophisticated and active state cyber threat to Canada today.”
As tensions rise and cyber threat assessments evolve, Canada appears to be bracing for potential cyber activities attributed to India, underscoring the complexities of international relations in the digital age.
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