The Federal Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has issued a warning to utility companies, financial institutions, and other organizations that comprise Canada’s critical infrastructure, calling for them to strengthen their cybersecurity against Russia-based threats.
In a statement last week, the agency said that “in light of Russia’s ongoing, unjustified military offensive in Ukraine,” it “strongly encourages all Canadian organizations to take immediate action and bolster their online cyber defences.”
“I don’t know that I would say that we’re expecting an increase but I would say, regardless of the context, we have seen and called out Russian cyber activity in the past as being reckless,” CSE associate chief Dan Rogers said in a media briefing.
“When we have a situation like we have now with Russia engaged in a conflict, we want to make sure that Canadian institutions have every mechanism possible to help defend themselves.”
CBC News reported that the CSE has been sharing cyber threat intelligence with “key partners” in Ukraine, and that the agency is also coordinating with the Canadian Armed Forces on intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, and operations.
Although the CSE stated that it is not currently aware of any specific cyberthreats related to the conflict in Ukraine, it mentioned that there has been a precedent – in 2017, CSE identified Russian operatives as the culprits behind the NotPetya malware. That malware was primarily used against Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, but it also made its way to energy, financial, and government sectors worldwide.
In addition to calling for improved cyber defences, the CSE has urged all Canadian organizations to report any cyber incidents they experience.
