Canada’s top cyber security agency has warned that Russia could launch high-tech attacks on critical infrastructure.
In a statement put out by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Canadian companies are urged to be vigilant and to watch out for cyber attacks.
“The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security encourages the Canadian cybersecurity community — especially critical infrastructure network defenders — to bolster their awareness of and protection against Russian state-sponsored cyber threats,” the agency wrote in a statement.
This comes as Western nations prepare to respond to Russia amassing thousands of troops and military equipment at its eastern border with Ukraine.
The embattled Eastern European country has called for the assistance of the international community to head off a possible invasion.
Canada and other nations have banded together to impose sanctions on President Vladimir Putin’s Russia in response to the situation, but Russia’s Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov downplayed their effect.
“Actually, in Russia, and the Russian government, and I can tell you frankly, nobody cares about Western sanctions anymore…because they don’t work and they don’t bite, they don’t inflict any real influence or any practical outcome,” Stepanov told CTV News.
Most recently, a small group of Canadian special forces were dispatched to Ukraine to provide the country with assistance in the worst-case scenario.
“The goal is to make sure that we can contribute to their increased capacities, capabilities, in light of the Russian threat and also a further invasion from Russia,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
“Russia is the aggressor and we need to make sure we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine.”
Canada has been long-involved in the country through Operation UNIFIER, as well as with training Ukraine’s new federal police force. As part of the operation, Canada sends 200 Canadian Armed Forces members to Ukraine every six months.
“As of September 30, 2021, 30,076 Security Forces of Ukraine (SFU) candidates have participated in the training provided via 623 course serials spanning all lines of effort since the start of the mission in September 2015. This number includes members of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU). To date, the CAF has provided training to 1,951 members of the NGU,” the Department of National Defence website claims.
