The diplomatic row between India and Canada has taken a sharp turn, with India hitting back at Canada’s labeling of India as a ‘cyber adversary’ in its National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security released the report on Tuesday, categorizing India alongside Russia, China, and North Korea as countries posing cyber threats. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, vehemently rejected the assessment, labeling it another attempt by Canada to attack India. He stated that the Canadian government’s accusations lack any evidence and are part of a broader strategy to manipulate global opinion against India.
Jaiswal highlighted that Canadian officials have openly admitted their intention to influence global perception against India. He also criticized Canada for its recent surveillance of Indian consular officials, claiming that the government is using technicalities to justify harassment and intimidation of Indian diplomatic personnel.
The tensions between the two nations escalated after Canada’s signals intelligence agency, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), publicly accused India of conducting cyber espionage activities against Canadian networks. Caroline Xavier, the head of CSE, suggested that India might leverage its cyber capabilities to retaliate against Canada’s actions, given the existing diplomatic friction.
The National Cyber Threat Assessment report, published by Canada, outlined specific concerns regarding India’s cyber program:
* India’s growing cyber capabilities pose a potential threat to Canada’s cybersecurity.
* India’s cyber program is believed to utilize commercial cyber vendors to enhance its operations.
* Indian state-sponsored actors are alleged to have engaged in espionage activities against Canadian government networks.
* The report suggests that bilateral relations between Canada and India could influence the level of cyber threats posed by India.
The ongoing dispute has raised serious concerns about the potential for cyber conflict between India and Canada. The lack of evidence presented by Canada and India’s firm denials have added fuel to the diplomatic fire, leaving the future of relations between the two countries uncertain.
