National

National


Indigo employees’ data breached in ransomware attack

A ransomware attack compromised the data of current and former employees at Canada’s biggest bookstore chain, Indigo Books & Music Inc. says. In a statement on its website, Indigo said the breach on Feb. 8 left no indication that customers’ personal information, such as credit card numbers, had been accessed, but that “some employee data […]

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Privacy commissioners looking into TikTok should investigate other apps: expert

TORONTO — At least one public policy expert says an investigation into TikTok launched by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner should prompt a similar look into other apps. Vass Bednar, the executive director of the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society at McMaster University, says issues around consent and data collection surround several TikTok rivals. While […]

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TikTok investigation sign of data privacy, geopolitical climate: academics

TORONTO — An investigation into TikTok launched by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner this week is a symptom of growing unrest around data privacy, but also a sign of the extent of geopolitical tensions, academics say. The investigation revealed Thursday by the federal privacy watchdog and its counterparts in B.C., Alberta and Quebec is meant to delve […]

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Feds fail to disclose Coastal GasLink data on salmon eggs, habitat

Shannon McPhail said she felt like the “world’s biggest schmuck” after reading an email from a senior official at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The official told her it was “impossible to confirm” how many living salmon eggs were in the path of the Coastal GasLink pipeline at a major river crossing. With wild salmon populations […]

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No foreign interference report more than one year after Liberal government re elected

OTTAWA — Canadians still do not have access to an assessment of the work done by a panel tasked with flagging incidents of foreign interference during the last election in 2021. The Critical Election Incident Public Protocol was created to monitor and report on threats to the 2019 election with a mandate to continue its […]

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Political spin on election interference helps China undermine democracies: Trudeau

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says members of Parliament who put a political spin on foreign election interference are helping China undermine Canadians’ confidence in their democracy. He says playing “political games” to get a partisan advantage will undermine people’s trust in their institutions, and will only assist the efforts of countries like Russia […]

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China, Russia targeting Canada’s artificial intelligence know how, CSIS warns

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy service warns that adversaries will turn to espionage and foreign interference tactics to target the country’s increasingly important artificial-intelligence sector. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says in a newly released analytical brief that countries including China and Russia can be expected to “pursue Canada’s AI through all available vectors” — from state-sponsored investment […]

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Trudeau government mum on Japan’s invitation to rejoin global timber treaty

OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government has yet to respond to a months-old invitation from Tokyo to have Canada rejoin a global environmental organization that regulates the timber trade. A July 2022 briefing note obtained through an access-to-information request shows that Japan has asked Ottawa to be part of the International Tropical Timber Organization. The group […]

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MPs ask CSIS to help them spot foreign interference

OTTAWA — Some members of Parliament say they have no idea how to spot foreign interference, as Canada’s spy agency warns that all elected officials are targets for hostile states. “There is not clarity, quite frankly, around what MPs and their parties can do to protect themselves,” NDP MP Rachel Blaney told CSIS officials on […]

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From Star Wars to swordfish ‘sensitivities,’ here’s why the government deletes tweets

OTTAWA — When it comes to government information, there is no shortage of sensitive matters. As it turns out, a “fun fact” about ocean critters is on the list. Fisheries and Oceans Canada tweeted about the parasites that plague swordfish last November. Two days later, the tweet was deleted. The reason? “Sensitivities about the parasites,” […]

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‘These are real people’: NDP MP slams Correctional Service Canada over systemic racism

Blake Desjarlais laboured to steady his voice. On Thursday, the NDP MP for Edmonton Griesbach spoke at a public accounts committee meeting after the release of an auditor general’s report on systemic barriers facing prisoners in federal jails. “(Correctional Service Canada) acknowledged in November 2020 that systemic racism is present in the correctional system; it’s […]

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Indigo cyberattack highlights mounting prevalence, sophistication of hackers: Experts

A cybersecurity incident stretched into its fifth day at Indigo Books & Music Inc. on Monday, illuminating the growing risk of cyberattacks on Canadian companies and consumers. The ongoing outage of the bookstore’s website serves as a warning of the mounting dangers facing organizations and individuals online, experts say. “These attacks are becoming more prevalent and more […]

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