Mumbai: Canada has, for the first time, officially listed India among its cyberthreat adversaries, suggesting potential state-sponsored espionage activity. In the recently released National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026 (NCTA 2025-2026) report, India ranks fifth—following China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—as a country posing a cyber threat to Canada.
The report, issued by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre), asserts that Indian state-sponsored actors “likely conduct cyber threat activity against Government of Canada networks for the purpose of espionage.” Released on October 30, the report underscores the evolving cyber threats Canada faces from both state and non-state actors.
The mention of India in this report marks a significant shift; previous editions in 2018, 2020, and 2023-24 did not include India in Canada’s list of cyber adversaries. According to the 2025-26 assessment, India’s leadership is focused on building a modernized cyber program, likely leveraging commercial cyber vendors to bolster its capabilities. The report suggests that India uses cyber operations to support its national security goals, including espionage, counterterrorism, and enhancing its global influence.
This development adds to already strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India. Tensions escalated following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement last year that credible evidence linked Indian government agents to the June 2023 killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a claim India has strongly denied.
The report also notes that Canada’s cybersecurity agency, alongside its partners in the Five Eyes alliance, remains vigilant in tracking evolving cyber threats to protect Canadian networks and infrastructure.
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