Canada’s spy agency conducted state-authorized cyberattacks against drug traffickers and ransomware gangs

Canada's Communications Security Establishment (CSE) conducted a handful of state-authorized cyberattacks last year to disrupt operations of drug traffickers, violent extremists, and a ransomware gang, based on information published by TechCrunch.

The CSE's annual report details three foreign "active cyber operations" targeting threats to Canadian national security. One operation disrupted a ransomware-as-a-service gang whose infrastructure was used to attack Canada's healthcare, transportation, and business sectors, rendering their systems inoperable and deleting data. Another targeted cybercriminals brokering fentanyl precursor chemicals, diminishing their operational capabilities. A third operation focused on an overseas extremist group, undermining their credibility and recruitment efforts.

The agency also conducted concurrent technical disruptions against 10 significant ransomware gangs targeting Canada and a defensive operation against a phishing campaign aimed at federal institutions. These disclosures offer a rare look into the methods used by intelligence agencies to combat evolving national security threats.

Source: TechCrunch