According to The Tyee, a 2019 government report found that there was a documented spike in sophisticated cyber attacks originating from Huawei devices on Canadian soil following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver.
The report in question was commissioned by Public Safety Canada from Clairvoyance Cyber Corp, and was recently acquired by the Institute of Investigative Journalism at Concordia via a freedom of information request.
The commission slipped under the radar up until now as the contract’s value did not meet the criteria for publicly bid solicitation.
The report alleges that China, through Huawei, is involved in “systematic computer network exploitation” and “espionage” of technology in the Canadian public and private sectors.
The Canadian population has shown concern about Huawei’s involvement in government contracts (and our allies), garnering heavy opposition to the federal government’s insistence on contracting Huawei for key communications infrastructure.
“Soon after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada,” reads the report, “increased [Advanced Persistent Threat] activity was seen involving Huawei devices within… Canadian critical infrastructure and business.”
Huawei has already been deemed a national security risk by the U.K., and the U.S. government has publicly urged allies to sever ties with Huawei over “cybersecurity risks” — yet Huawei remains hopeful that it will contribute to the development of integral 5G infrastructure in Canada, a decision that is currently under contention.
