Cyber Defence Agency Launches Effort to Fortify Critical Infrastructure Against Threats

A person types on a computer keyboard in Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023, in this photo file. The Canadian Press/Graeme Roy

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) has launched a new initiative aiming to help critical infrastructure organizations across the country withstand the rising level of cyber threats.

The Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Escalated Threat Navigation (CIREN) program aims to equip organizations to handle major disruptions to critical infrastructure such as energy, telecommunications, transportation, and water, Canada’s national cybersecurity agency said in a press release.

The goal, the agency said, is to improve preparedness, response capabilities, and strategies for long-term recovery in the face of a growing range of cyber threats from state-sponsored actors. The agency did not name specific countries in the April 17 press release, but identified Iran as a concern in February after the United States and Israel jointly targeted the Middle Eastern country over nuclear weapon concerns.

A 2025-2026 threat assessment report from the CCCS also pointed to Iran, but named China and Russia as the “greatest strategic cyber threats to Canada.” It also issued a warning about cyber threats from state-affiliated groups in North Korea and India.

The latest press release from the CCCS said state-sponsored actors could target Canadian infrastructure as part of broader geopolitical tensions.

“Cyber threats to critical infrastructure are evolving and complex—but preparing for them doesn’t need to be,” CCCS Head Rajiv Gupta said in the April 17 press release. “The time to act is now.”

CIREN is training organizations to improve their cyber readiness and resilience in three key areas, the agency said. These actions include preparing to isolate critical systems for up to three months, developing and testing response plans to operate independently, and planning for rebuilding systems after severe cyber incidents.

The ever-evolving threat landscape is further complicated by risks from artificial intelligence, better known as AI, the cybersecurity agency said. The swift progress in AI can enhance the scale, speed, and impact of cyber incidents.

Combatting that means adding teeth to the systems of critical infrastructure organizations and more closely monitoring their networks, as well as reviewing and testing isolation-focused incident response plans and business continuity plans, the agency said.

“Organizations that deliberately plan and prepare their systems are the ones that will sustain their essential services during prolonged cyber disruptions,” the agency said.

Growing Cyber Threats

Ottawa shared an advisory from the CCCS in February predicting that Iran would “very likely” use its cyber capabilities in response to the joint military operations conducted against the country by the United States and Israel.

The agency said Canada’s initial statement of support for the military offensive could make Canadian critical infrastructure operators a target for hackers. It also identified energy grids, government networks, health-care facilities, water or transportation services, communication networks such as 911 services and telephone or internet systems as possible targets.

The cyber centre said the chance of Canada being targeted ranged from 60 to 74 percent.

The United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, killing Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) figures. A fragile, Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire began on April 8, with negotiations in Islamabad ongoing.

U.S. officials are expected to arrive in Pakistan on April 20 to prepare for a second round of talks and President Donald Trump has warned Tehran of severe consequences if a deal is not reached.

CCCS did not say if the end of the war would cause the cyber threat risk from Iran to diminish, but its 2025-2026 CCCS report said there have been plenty of attacks from the country in the past.

State-sponsored hackers have previously performed denial of service attacks, attempted to manipulate industrial control systems, and accessed government and private networks in various countries to encrypt, wipe, and leak data, the report said.

It also warned that these state-sponsored hackers are believed to surveil individuals in Canada whom the Iranian regime perceives as a threat, such as political activists, journalists, human rights researchers, and members of the Iranian diaspora.