In a significant development, India has been officially designated as an adversary in Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026, released by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security on October 31, 2024.
This marks the first instance of India being explicitly identified as a cyber threat in an official Canadian government document.
The assessment categorizes India alongside China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea under the section addressing cyber threats from “state adversaries.” Specifically, the report 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.”
Further, the report notes, “We judge that official bilateral relations between Canada and India will very likely drive Indian state-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada.”
It elaborates that India’s leadership “almost certainly aspires to build a modernised cyber program with domestic cyber capabilities” and “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.”
The assessment also indicates that India’s cyber program “likely leverages commercial cyber vendors to enhance its operations.”
This development follows a series of diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. In mid-October, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, declaring them “persons of interest” in ongoing investigations into violent criminal activities within its territory.
In retaliation, New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats.
India has dismissed these allegations as “preposterous,” attributing them to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s domestic political considerations.
On October 16, Prime Minister Trudeau testified before the foreign interference commission in Ottawa, accusing India of violating Canada’s sovereignty. He stated, “We had clear and certainly now ever clearer indications that India had violated Canada’s sovereignty.”
To date, Canadian authorities have not released concrete evidence to substantiate their allegations against India, indicating that details will emerge during forthcoming trials related to incidents of murder, extortion, and other violent acts.
This diplomatic rift traces back to September 18, 2023, when Prime Minister Trudeau informed the House of Commons of “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, three months earlier.
During his October 16 testimony, Trudeau acknowledged that the initial allegations were based primarily on intelligence rather than definitive evidence. India has consistently refuted these charges, labeling them as “absurd” and “motivated.”
The inclusion of India in Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations, highlighting concerns over cyber espionage and national security.