Insider Threat / Espionage

The 2015 convictions of two men sentenced to life over an alleged terrorist plot against a Toronto-bound passenger train are entitled to a new trial, according to an Ontario judge. One of the men arrested by the RCMP in 2013 was successful in arguing that the trial judge erred in how jurors were selected. [node:read-more:link]

The Rand Corp. has released an analysis of how a new generation of jihadists might emerge from the ongoing political upheavals in the Middle East. The researchers assessed how to counter what is seen as a more technology-wise threat. [node:read-more:link]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not confirm whether Jack Letts, a British-Canadian national held by Kurdish authorities after allegedly joining militants in Syria, might be permitted to come to Canada. Nicknamed “Jihadi Jack” by British media, Letts broached the idea in a televised interview. [node:read-more:link]

David Vigneault, Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, has been advised in a briefing package, obtained through an Access to Information request, that the agency faces a serious personnel retention and recruitment challenge. The challenge is highlighted as CSIS and other intelligence assets prepare to thwart any interference with the upcoming federal election. [node:read-more:link]

Apple Inc. is offering to pay “ethical” hackers as much as US$1.5 million to find flaws in the company’s devices and software. It’s seen as a major step toward improving the company's internal security. [node:read-more:link]

Behind closed doors, David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, has not shied away from singling out China, as the “greatest threat to our prosperity and national interest.” [node:read-more:link]

Even as China’s economic engine cools down, it continues to undergo one of the fastest growth rates in the world. A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute takes an in-depth look at the situation, noting China’s engagement in fields such as digital and technology, trade and the environment. [node:read-more:link]

National Counterterrorism Center Director Joseph Maguire, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL vice-admiral, has been named by President Donald Trump as acting Director of National Intelligence. The current DNI, Dan Coats, is stepping down Aug. 15, as is Principal Deputy Director Sue Gordon. [node:read-more:link]

Two persons have been arrested after a data breach at Revenu Quebec resulted in the release of the personnel files of 23,000 of the agency’s current and former employees. The agency says an internal investigation showed the data was not used for malicious purposes or sold to third parties. [node:read-more:link]

Visits or calls from the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service or law enforement agencies, often to Muslim students, are said to be increasingly common at universities across the country. A University of Toronto law professor and a criminal lawyer said it's an issue few students apparently are willing to discuss because of the stigma. [node:read-more:link]

Five days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate John Ratcliffe to succeed Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence, the Texas Republican congressman has withdrawn. Democrats excoriated him as a Trump loyalist who would undercut the traditional independence of the intelligence agencies and other Republicans had been unusually silent. [node:read-more:link]

Advances in quantum computing evidently pose a threat to levels of encryption currently seen as secure. While a major breakthrough is not considered likely for several years, it is estimated that weaker cybersecurity algorithms will be vulnerable earlier. [node:read-more:link]