A Canadian spy agency warned that India is using cyber technology to track separatists abroad, a day after the country’s government accused a top Indian official of authorizing violence that included the killing of a Sikh activist in Vancouver. .
In a report, Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) said India was using cyber capabilities “to track and surveil activists and dissidents living abroad,” in addition to intensifying cyber attacks against government networks. Canadian.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside India and includes activists for an independent Sikh state.
Ottawa has accused India of orchestrating the 2023 murder in Vancouver of naturalized Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, a prominent activist for “Khalistan,” the fringe separatist movement for an independent Sikh homeland in the Indian state of Punjab.
“It is clear that we are seeing India as an emerging (cyber) threat actor,” CSE chief Caroline Xavier said at a press conference.
In the report, his agency blamed the breakdown in bilateral relations between Canada and India as “most likely” driving this activity.
The report notes that after Canada’s allegations, “a pro-India hacktivist group” launched devastating DDoS attacks (flooding a system with online traffic to make it inaccessible to legitimate users) against Canadian websites, including the military’s public site.
On Tuesday, officials revealed that Ottawa had traced a campaign targeting Canadian Khalistan activists to the highest levels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Testifying before a House of Commons national security and public safety committee, Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison confirmed a Washington Post story implicating Indian Home Secretary Amit Shah in the plot to intimidate and even killing Canadian Sikhs.
The Post cited an unnamed senior Canadian official who said Shah authorized intelligence gathering and a campaign of attacks, including the assassination of Nijjar in 2023.
Morrison said he was the source of the information, telling the committee: “The journalist called me and asked if I was that person. I confirmed that it was that person.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the national police have said there are “clear indications” of Indian involvement in the killing, as well as a widespread campaign of intimidation, violence and other threats against Khalistan activists.
India has rejected the allegations.
Delhi and Ottawa earlier this month each expelled the other’s ambassador and other senior diplomats.
Four Indian nationals have been arrested in connection with the murder.