Pandemic is fueling foreign espionage in Canada, says security committee
Catharine Tunney
CBC
4/12/2021
China running 'talent programs' to learn Canadian info
The report is heavily redacted but provides some details of how China is trying to steal Canadian intellectual property.
"China uses 'talent programs' and academic exchanges to exploit Canadian expertise," it reads.
China's Thousand Talents Program, launched in 2008, encourages Chinese scientists abroad to bring their research to China; it's currently under investigation in the U.S.
"The result of this program is that intellectual property is often transferred to China," said NSICOP.
"In many cases, these actors are targeting the same types of science and technology in which the government of Canada is investing."
NSICOP was set up to to give certain parliamentarians access to top-secret materials and to allow them to question leaders in the security and intelligence community. It meets in secret and reports directly to the prime minister on national security matters. Only redacted versions of its reports are made public.
© Evan Mitsui/CBC Foreign actors are interested in Canada's vaccine development and rollout, says a new report from one of Canada's key national security oversight committees.
The pandemic is driving some foreign states to ramp up their espionage efforts against Canadian targets — including companies engaged in vaccine development — says a new report from one of Canada's key national security oversight committees.
The warning is found in the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians's (NSICOP) annual report, which was tabled in the House of Commons today.
The report said Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have been targeted by the intelligence sectors of China, Russia and Iran.
"The emergence of COVID 19 [means] more foreign espionage on biopharma and health care sectors, our COVID-19 vaccine supply," committee chair David McGuinty told CBC News.
"What we have concluded is that with this tumultuous year, [with] the increase in research in science and technology and the increase in research when it comes to vaccines and intellectual property, there's been an increase in interest of some actors trying to get their hands on that research."
According to NSICOP's paper, the Communications Security Establishment — Canada's foreign signals intelligence agency — reports that state-sponsored actors have targeted Canada looking for vaccine information.
"Specifically, CSE noted that these actors have demonstrated an interest in information related to vaccine research and development, medical equipment, and response coordination," says the report.
"CSE assesses that this threat will likely continue for the duration of the pandemic."
The report said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also has expressed concerns about mass surveillance technologies.
McGuinty said the security service worries about Canadians downloading apps made abroad.
"For example, if you're a Chinese national living in China, you are downloading Chinese app technologies and you are expected to do so," he said.
"If you're a Canadian or a permanent resident here and you decide to download some other form of contact tracing technologies ... there are inherent risks in doing that. The risks are that you can be tracked, you can be monitored, your information can be stored, it can be shared."
The pandemic is driving some foreign states to ramp up their espionage efforts against Canadian targets — including companies engaged in vaccine development — says a new report from one of Canada's key national security oversight committees.
The warning is found in the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians's (NSICOP) annual report, which was tabled in the House of Commons today.
The report said Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have been targeted by the intelligence sectors of China, Russia and Iran.
"The emergence of COVID 19 [means] more foreign espionage on biopharma and health care sectors, our COVID-19 vaccine supply," committee chair David McGuinty told CBC News.
"What we have concluded is that with this tumultuous year, [with] the increase in research in science and technology and the increase in research when it comes to vaccines and intellectual property, there's been an increase in interest of some actors trying to get their hands on that research."
According to NSICOP's paper, the Communications Security Establishment — Canada's foreign signals intelligence agency — reports that state-sponsored actors have targeted Canada looking for vaccine information.
"Specifically, CSE noted that these actors have demonstrated an interest in information related to vaccine research and development, medical equipment, and response coordination," says the report.
"CSE assesses that this threat will likely continue for the duration of the pandemic."
The report said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also has expressed concerns about mass surveillance technologies.
McGuinty said the security service worries about Canadians downloading apps made abroad.
"For example, if you're a Chinese national living in China, you are downloading Chinese app technologies and you are expected to do so," he said.
"If you're a Canadian or a permanent resident here and you decide to download some other form of contact tracing technologies ... there are inherent risks in doing that. The risks are that you can be tracked, you can be monitored, your information can be stored, it can be shared."
China running 'talent programs' to learn Canadian info
The report is heavily redacted but provides some details of how China is trying to steal Canadian intellectual property.
"China uses 'talent programs' and academic exchanges to exploit Canadian expertise," it reads.
China's Thousand Talents Program, launched in 2008, encourages Chinese scientists abroad to bring their research to China; it's currently under investigation in the U.S.
"The result of this program is that intellectual property is often transferred to China," said NSICOP.
"In many cases, these actors are targeting the same types of science and technology in which the government of Canada is investing."
NSICOP was set up to to give certain parliamentarians access to top-secret materials and to allow them to question leaders in the security and intelligence community. It meets in secret and reports directly to the prime minister on national security matters. Only redacted versions of its reports are made public.
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