Organized cybercrime could threaten Canada’s national security: report

Organized cybercrime will likely pose a threat to Canada’s national security in the next two years, according to a new assessment report from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

The centre’s head, Sami Khoury, says Russia and Iran have become “safe havens” for cyber criminals, and Russian intelligence is helping them operate with near impunity.

“It is a national threat because it not only impacts schools, it impacts hospitals, it impacts critical infrastructure that can, in turn, have devastating impacts on citizens — everything from energy to, potentially, other sectors of critical infrastructure,” he said.

Khoury explains this means cybercriminals based within the borders of those nations can target Western countries.

“Over the next two years we will see that financially motivated cyber criminals will almost certainly continue to target high value organizations and critical infrastructure sectors in Canada and around the world,” Khoury said.

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Canada’s digital spy agency and the RCMP say most cyber crimes go unreported. They are urging people and businesses to report any of these crimes to law enforcement.

Khoury also stresses the importance of collaboration between authorities to prevent crime.

“Collaboration is key as we work to minimize the impact of cyber crime in Canada,” he said.

The report from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security says organized cybercriminal groups can reap large sums through their specialized technical capabilities, including development of tailored malware.

-With files from The Canadian Press