Warnings: Experts say Iran tensions could heighten Canada’s security and cyber risk
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابSecurity experts say Canada could face a more challenging risk environment as tensions with Iran rise, particularly in cybersecurity and in the targeting of dissidents abroad through what analysts describe as transnational repression.
In a report carried by The Canadian Press, researchers pointed to Iran’s history of responding asymmetrically, including cyber activity and intimidation efforts outside its borders. They cautioned that Iranian-Canadian activists and other diaspora voices could face increased pressure if the conflict escalates.
University of Ottawa assistant professor Thomas Juneau said Iran has previously shown patterns of harassing or pressuring critics overseas, and that cyber operations can intensify when a regime perceives itself under existential threat.
Sajjan Gohel, international security director at the Asia Pacific Foundation, warned that heightened tensions can widen the threat landscape for diaspora communities, including intimidation attempts and the potential use of criminal networks to target individuals.
The issue has been debated in Canada before, including a 2024 House of Commons condemnation of allegations tied to a suspected Iranian plot targeting former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Ottawa supports U.S. action aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while ruling out any direct Canadian military involvement.
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Tahani Elghazaly5252 Posts
