STEVEN CHASESENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
ROBERT FIFEOTTAWA
BUREAU CHIEF
PUBLISHED YESTERDAYUPDATED 7
HOURS AGO
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a virtual cabinet meeting on Jan. 18 to discuss Canada’s response to the crisis in Ukraine.JUSTIN TANG/THE CANADIAN PRESS
A computer network disruption has hobbled
services at Canada’s foreign affairs ministry for days, and one security expert
says it is likely the result of a cyberattack.
Networks at the Department of Global Affairs
had not been fully restored to normal as of Monday, two government sources told
The Globe and Mail. The Globe is not identifying the sources because they were
not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Ottawa’s Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
said in a statement that a “cyber incident involving Global Affairs” was
detected on Jan. 19, “after which mitigation measures were taken.”
Canada’s cyberspy agency last week warned of
Moscow-backed cyberattacks on Canadian critical infrastructure as Western
countries prepare economic sanctions in the growing expectation that Russia
will invade Ukraine.
Canada’s
foreign ministry suffers network disruption as Ukraine-Russia tensions rise
Canada’s
cyberspy agency warns of Russian cyberattacks on critical infrastructure
The Treasury Board statement said Global
Affairs remains affected.
“Critical services for Canadians through
Global Affairs Canada are currently functioning,” it said. “Some access to
internet and internet-based services are not currently available as part of the
mitigation measures and work is under way to restore them.”
The government declined to cast blame for the
incident.
“This investigation is ongoing. We are unable
to comment further on any specific details,” the statement said. The Treasury
Board said it was working with one of Canada’s spy agencies, the Communications
Security Establishment (CSE) and its Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
Tensions have been rising between Russia and
Western allies such as Canada over the future of Ukraine.
The Globe reported last week that Ottawa is
considering sending small arms as well as night goggles, helmets, armoured
vests and military radios to Kyiv for its armed forces. Also on the table is
providing intelligence and cybersecurity advice, likely through the CSE, which
is Canada’s signal intelligence agency.
Stephanie Carvin, a former national security
analyst and an associate professor of international relations at the Norman
Paterson School of International Affairs, said many people in the security
community believe Global Affairs was hacked.
A Russian military buildup on the border with
Ukraine – as many as 100,000 troops – has raised fears of an invasion that the
White House has warned could come “at any point.” Russia has asked for
guarantees that NATO will not expand membership to include Ukraine and other
ex-Soviet states – a request that has been refused.
The Canadian government has been outspoken in
its defence of Ukraine’s right to self-determination, and Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau last Friday announced a loan of $120-million for Kyiv as it prepares
for possible war with Russia.
Mr. Trudeau also signalled more support is
coming as the Liberal government toughens its tone on the threat of Russian
invasion and mulls more soldier training and defensive military gear for
Ukraine.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security joined
its counterparts in the United States and Britain last Thursday in urging
Canadian companies, such as electrical utilities and energy firms, to watch out
for cyberattacks from Russia.
The agency said in a statement that it is
aware of foreign cyberthreat activities, including by Russian-backed actors, to
target operators of Canadian critical infrastructure networks and their
operational and information technology.
Retired major-general David Fraser said he
believes “100 per cent” that Russia was behind what happened at Global Affairs,
calling it a familiar manoeuvre by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
government.
“It is all about coercion and information
dominance,” he said. “It is plausible deniability. It is hard to find the
source and it is very disruptive.” Mr. Fraser said Mr. Putin is “testing the
waters everywhere” with cyberattacks as well attempts to sow dissent within
Ukraine to destabilize and overthrow the government.
He said it shouldn’t come as a surprise,
because cyberattacks are one of Mr. Putin’s key offensive tools.
“When they think they need to send a message
or do something preventive, for something they are going to do later on, they go
on attack,” he said. “A little attack like this probably sends a pretty strong
message back to the Prime Minister.”
Mr. Trudeau indicated on Monday that Ottawa is
drawing up contingency plans for the potential evacuation of Canadian
diplomatic and support staff from the embassy in Kyiv in the event of a Russian
invasion.
“We are following the situation in Ukraine
extremely closely,” he said when asked at a news conference if Canada would
follow the lead of the U.S. and withdraw diplomatic personnel. “There are many
contingency plans in place. The safety of Canadian diplomats and families is,
of course, paramount.”
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