Canada Accuses India of Cyber Espionage, Reveals Military Website Hack
Ottawa: Tensions between Canada and India continue to deepen, with Canada now accusing India of cyber espionage and targeting its military websites. Canada’s spy agency has issued a new warning, stating that India could be preparing a major cyberattack on Canadian government networks. Allegedly, several Canadian government sites have already come under attack.
Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) claims that India is using cyber technology to monitor separatists within Canada and is allegedly stepping up cyberattacks against Canadian government networks. According to CSE’s director Caroline Xavier, India is now regarded as an “emerging cyber threat” to Canada, adding a new dimension to the already strained relationship between the two nations.
Escalating Diplomatic Tensions
The roots of this diplomatic standoff date back to 2023, when Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen accused by India of separatist activities, was shot dead in Vancouver. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in Nijjar’s murder. However, Trudeau has yet to provide concrete evidence to support this claim. India denied any involvement and retaliated by reducing its diplomatic presence in Canada, expelling six Canadian diplomats from the country, and recalling its own officials.
CSE’s recent accusations about Indian cyber activities come amidst this existing diplomatic strain, which began with accusations of politically motivated violence and has now escalated into alleged cyber threats.
Cyber Attacks on Canadian Websites
The CSE report claims that Indian-affiliated hacker groups have launched DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks against Canadian government sites, including the military’s website. These DDoS attacks aim to flood websites with excessive online traffic, causing them to crash and become inaccessible to the public. In its statement, the Canadian agency accused Indian groups of using cyber tools not only to monitor activities within Canada but also to disrupt Canadian governmental systems.
Canada’s spy agency lists India as one of the emerging cyber threats, placing it alongside countries like Russia, China, and North Korea—nations traditionally viewed as hostile actors in cyberspace by Western countries. Canada’s decision to place India in this category is particularly notable, given India’s close relations with many Western nations.
India’s Position and Regional Security Concerns
India has consistently denied involvement in either the Vancouver killing or cyberattacks against Canada. Indian officials argue that the accusations are an attempt by Canada to divert attention from its domestic separatist issues, specifically relating to pro-Khalistan separatist movements. India has long contended that Canada has failed to adequately address separatist activities on its soil, citing a need for stronger collaboration on issues of mutual security and counter-terrorism.
Canadian officials, however, remain adamant in their claims. They argue that India’s alleged cyber interference represents a growing and serious threat to national security. The CSE report highlights that beyond just monitoring, India may be stepping up its efforts to target Canadian networks, a charge that India has yet to directly address.
Broader Implications and International Context
Placing India alongside established cyber adversaries like China, Russia, and North Korea reflects Canada’s position on the evolving nature of cyber threats. Typically, Western nations have focused their cybersecurity efforts on countries with historical or ideological tensions, such as Russia and China. Including India in this list signals a shift and raises questions about the implications for India’s relations with other Western nations, especially those in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.
Analysts warn that if unresolved, the tensions between Canada and India may lead to further diplomatic fallout and may affect other partnerships India maintains with Western countries. While many international allies have refrained from directly supporting Canada’s allegations, they are monitoring the situation closely. Both Canada and India remain important strategic partners to various countries, and further escalation may prompt other nations to choose sides or attempt diplomatic interventions.
Outlook
As tensions build, Canada and India find themselves in a challenging situation with limited room for compromise. Canada has made strong accusations, and India has responded by denying them while maintaining its stance on separatist issues within Canadian borders. This latest round of cyber-related allegations may add pressure on both sides to engage in some form of diplomatic resolution. However, with mistrust deepening, achieving this could prove difficult.
Whether or not Canada’s accusations are confirmed, the growing animosity between the two nations is undeniable, and both countries may face consequences if they are unable to find a common ground. With Canada categorizing India as an “emerging cyber threat,” the world will be watching to see if these tensions are resolved diplomatically or continue to spiral into a broader conflict.