Canada’s foreign ministry targeted in cyberattack

The Canadian foreign ministry has been impacted by a “cyber incident” that has interrupted some of its “internet-based services,” the Canadian government said Monday, according to CNN. 

Cybersecurity officials in Canada were working to rectify the interruption as of Monday night, CNN reported. Officials said that “critical services for Canadians” involving the foreign ministry were not impacted during the incident. 

“At this time, there is no indication that any other government departments have been impacted by this incident,” read a statement from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to CNN.

The statement continued, “We are constantly reviewing measures to protect Canadians and our critical infrastructure from electronic threats, hacking, and cyber espionage.” 

“Given this investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further on any specific details for operational reasons,” Treasury Board spokesperson Alain Belle-Isle said, per CNN.

Last week, Canadian officials told critical infrastructure operators in the country “to bolster their awareness of and protection against Russian state-sponsored cyber threats,” CNN reports. 

The United States and United Kingdom have similarly urged intelligence agencies to prepare for potential cyberattack retaliation by Russian hackers amid tensions surrounding the country’s military aggression toward Ukraine, according to the outlet.

That Canadian public advisory and the hacking incident impacting the Canadian foreign ministry have no immediate apparent ties to one another, CNN noted.