Canadian Intelligence alleges China, Russia of 'Cold War' level of espionage, foreign interference

"The fluid and rapidly evolving environment caused by COVID-19 has created a situation ripe for exploitation by threat actors seeking to advance their own interests. ... In 2020 our world became increasingly interconnected ... presenting more opportunities than ever for cyber-actors to conduct malicious online threat activity. ... Similarly, in 2020, CSIS observed espionage and foreign interference activity at levels not seen since the Cold War," David Vigneault, the CSIS director, was quoted as saying in the public report.

According to Vigneault, the national security threats facing Canada include violent extremism, foreign interference, espionage and cyberactivities.

"While federal, provincial, and municipal levels of Canadian government are of interest, foreign states such as the People’s Republic of China and Russia also target non-governmental organizations in Canada — including academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society," the CSIS chief added.

In response, Moscow has said that Cyber attacks in Western countries are often blamed on foreign actors, namely Russia and China, without providing evidence to back the allegations and repeatedly refuted the accusations and called for multilateral dialogue on cybersecurity.