Canada Global (Web News) Following revelations of stolen U.S. intelligence claiming Russian hackers reached the crucial sector, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claims there was “no physical damage done” to Canada’s energy infrastructure.
U.S. officials informed allies and partners, including Canada, over the weekend over the possible repercussions of stolen Pentagon documents that allegedly outline U.S. and NATO operations in Ukraine. The source of the leak is currently being looked into by American officials.
The classified documents that have been made public online purport to chronicle shipments of weapons and equipment to Ukraine, but they also appear to contain inconsistencies that have led some to doubt their veracity or whether they have been altered, according to sources.
The released documents detail claims made by Russian-backed hackers that they were able to get access to Canada’s natural gas infrastructure. Global News has not yet independently verified these claims.
In response to claims of cyberattacks on Canadian energy infrastructure, Trudeau told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday, “I can affirm that there was no physical damage to any Canadian energy infrastructure as a result of cyberattacks.
The hacking incident was seen as an illustration of how Moscow can expect to react outside of Ukraine’s borders if the war drags on, according to a New York Times piece published on Monday.
According to the report, a Russian intelligence officer gave hackers instructions to keep access to the computer network and “wait for future instruction” even if the report doesn’t mention a specific energy business.
According to the Times, the hackers were able to demonstrate their capability to raise valve pressure, turn off alarms and cause an emergency shutdown at an unnamed gas distribution station.
The risk of disclosing tactics, techniques, and procedures led the Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s cyber spy agency, to declare on Monday that it does not comment, “whether to confirm or deny, on purportedly leaked intelligence.”
Yet, it stated that it was worried about “the potential for critical infrastructure disruption” due to internet-connected industrial equipment.
“State-sponsored cyber threat actors may also attack essential infrastructure to obtain information through espionage; pre-position in case of future wars; or as a form of power projection and intimidation,” spokesperson Ryan Foreman said in a statement.”
We continue to be very concerned about this issue, and we firmly advise owners and operators of vital infrastructure to contact us so that we can collaborate on securing their systems.
