Acknowledges 'growing' threats after 3 departments hacked
Prime Minister Stephen Harper assured Canadians on Thursday that the government does have a strategy in place to protect computer networks, following the revelation that at least three key departments had their systems compromised by hackers.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the 'growing' threat of cyberattacks, after three key government departments were hacked.Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the 'growing' threat of cyberattacks, after three key government departments were hacked. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Harper would not comment specifically on unprecedented attacks that targeted the Finance Department, the Treasury Board, and Defence Research and Development Canada.
But he said at a press conference in Toronto that he recognized cyber security was "a growing issue of importance, not just in this country, but across the world."
He added that in anticipating potential cyberattacks, "we have a strategy in place to try and evolve our systems as those who would attack them become more sophisticated."
Auditor general warned of cyber 'weaknesses' in 2002
Christopher McCluskey, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said the minister could not speak about details pertaining to security-related incidents, but that Canada takes such threats seriously and has "measures in place" to address them.
"The next phase of our economic action plan is still in development and we have no indication that budget security has been compromised," McCluskey added.
A cyberattack, apparently from computers based in China, gave hackers access to highly classified information and was first detected in early January.
The attacks forced the government departments that were targeted to disconnect temporarily from the internet.
It appeared at first that only the systems of Canada's financial nerve centres
Prime Minister Stephen Harper assured Canadians on Thursday that the government does have a strategy in place to protect computer networks, following the revelation that at least three key departments had their systems compromised by hackers.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the 'growing' threat of cyberattacks, after three key government departments were hacked.Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the 'growing' threat of cyberattacks, after three key government departments were hacked. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Harper would not comment specifically on unprecedented attacks that targeted the Finance Department, the Treasury Board, and Defence Research and Development Canada.
But he said at a press conference in Toronto that he recognized cyber security was "a growing issue of importance, not just in this country, but across the world."
He added that in anticipating potential cyberattacks, "we have a strategy in place to try and evolve our systems as those who would attack them become more sophisticated."
Auditor general warned of cyber 'weaknesses' in 2002
Christopher McCluskey, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said the minister could not speak about details pertaining to security-related incidents, but that Canada takes such threats seriously and has "measures in place" to address them.
"The next phase of our economic action plan is still in development and we have no indication that budget security has been compromised," McCluskey added.
A cyberattack, apparently from computers based in China, gave hackers access to highly classified information and was first detected in early January.
The attacks forced the government departments that were targeted to disconnect temporarily from the internet.
It appeared at first that only the systems of Canada's financial nerve centres