CHANDIGARH: The Canadian government has, for the first time, labelled India as an “adversary” in its National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026, published by the country’s Centre for Cyber Security.The report comes at a time when diplomatic relations between both countries have hit rock bottom, following Ottawa’s repeated accusations of New Delhi’s involvement in campaigns targeting Sikh separatists inside Canada. India has rejected Canada’s allegations, calling them “absurd.”In its report released earlier this week, under the section ‘Cyber Threat from State Adversaries’, India has been listed alongside China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.The report, in reference to India, states: “We assess that Indian state-sponsored cyber threat actors likely conduct cyber threat activity against Government of Canada networks for the purpose of espionage. We judge that official bilateral relations between Canada and India will very likely drive Indian state-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada.”The report continues: “India’s leadership almost certainly aspires to build a modernised cyber program with domestic cyber capabilities. India very likely uses its cyber program to advance its national security imperatives, including espionage, counterterrorism, and the country’s efforts to promote its global status and counter narratives against India and the Indian government. We assess that India’s cyber program likely leverages commercial cyber vendors to enhance its operations.”At a recent press conference, Caroline Xavier, Chief of Canada’s communications security establishment, had stated: “It is clear that we are seeing India as an emerging cyber threat actor.”Meanwhile, the report also claimed that a hacktivist group allegedly linked to India had conducted cyberattacks against Canadian websites following the onset of diplomatic tensions last year.“Diplomatic tensions are also inspiring hacktivist activity. After Canada accused India of involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen, a pro-India hacktivist group claimed to have defaced and conducted brief DDoS attacks against websites in Canada, including the public-facing website of the Canadian Armed Forces,” the report stated in the section titled ‘Geopolitically Inspired Non-State Actors are Creating Unpredictability’.This was in reference to Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in Vancouver on June 18, 2023. Four Indian nationals living in Canada have been charged with Niijar’s murder and are awaiting trial. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in September 2023 there were credible allegations that India’s government had links to the killing. India denied the allegations at the time, calling them “absurd” and “motivated,” adding that Nijjar was involved in “terrorism.”Canadian authorities say they have shared evidence of this with India. However, New Delhi says Canada hasn’t provided any evidence so far.Earlier this week, senior officials from Trudeau’s administration informed a Canadian Parliament committee that they had leaked intelligence information to the Washington Post, which had earlier reported that India and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in particular, were behind the plots allegedly targeting Sikh separatists within Canada.The past month has seen diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa reach a critical low point, as both countries expelled each other’s top diplomats amid tensions surrounding Nijjar’s killing.The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it had found evidence of the involvement of Indian agents “in serious criminal activity in Canada,” including links “to homicides and violent acts” and interference in Canada’s democratic processes, among other things.India has called the allegations “preposterous” and accused Trudeau of appealing to a domestic vote bank, adding that “the responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone.”
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