As the world has become smaller and more competitive, foreign states seek to leverage all elements of state power to advance their own national interests and position themselves in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment. ![]() Foreign interference directed at Canada’s democratic institutions and processes, at all levels of government, can be an effective way for a foreign state to achieve its immediate, medium, and long term strategic objectives. In July 2021, CSIS issued a public report entitled “ Foreign Interference: Threats to Canada’s Democratic Process” as part of ongoing efforts to protect democratic institutions and processes and to increase awareness among Canadians on this important threat. Foreign interference undermines Canada’s democratic institutions and the intimidation or coercion of communities in Canada by hostile state actors constitutes a threat to Canada’s social cohesion, sovereignty, and national security. ![]() Active targets of these activities include institutions at all levels of government as well as private sector organizations, civil society groups, and Canadian communities. Foreign interference is directed at Canadians, both inside and outside Canada and may be undertaken with the use of state or non-state entities, and can include the use of proxies and co-optees.įoreign interference activities in Canada continue to be sophisticated, persistent, and pervasive. The CSIS Act defines foreign influenced activities as activities that are “detrimental to the interests of Canada and are clandestine or deceptive, or involve a threat to any person.” These activities are also commonly referred to as foreign interference, and are almost always conducted to further the interests of a foreign state, to Canada’s detriment. Foreign Interference and EspionageĪs a core part of its mandate, CSIS investigates and advises the Government of Canada on threats posed by espionage and foreign influenced activities. ![]() CSIS’s outreach to organisations including supply chain associations and other related industry groups on the risks associated with logistics supply networks is a good example of how CSIS is reaching out to non-traditional stakeholders to ensure Canadians remain safe and Canadian interests are protected from threats.ĬSIS will continue to work closely with other members of Canada’s security and intelligence community, as well as allied partners to help protect Canada’s pandemic response and targeted sectors from potential national security threats. Throughout the pandemic CSIS observed persistent and sophisticated state-sponsored threat activity, including harm to individual Canadian companies, as well as the mounting toll on Canada’s vital assets and knowledge-based economy.Īs a result, CSIS is working closely with government partners to ensure that as many Canadian businesses and different levels of government as possible are aware of the threat environment and that they have the information they need to implement pre-emptive security measures. Experts from Canada’s security and intelligence community worked closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Health Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the Canadian Armed Forces and others to support Government of Canada efforts to respond to the pandemic. The pandemic reinforced the importance of ‘whole of government’ responses during periods of emergency.
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