The Communications Security Foundation (CSE) also said it was aware of its dedicated efforts to promote fake anti-Canadian stories. Following in the footsteps of its British and American allies, the CSE posted on Twitter on Friday comments from its information on what it called Russia-backed disinformation campaigns, a well-known tactic used by the government of President Vladimir Putin. The agency said there was a concerted effort by Russia to create and spread false allegations that Ukraine was taking the bodies of fallen soldiers, women and children and using mobile incinerators to dispose of the evidence. Russia has also “created and perpetuated false stories and narratives that falsely claim that only military targets were attacked and that civilian casualties in Ukraine were lower than those shown by confirmed, verifiable reports,” the CSE said. “Similarly, we have seen Russia’s efforts to promote stories that falsely categorize Russian protesters and citizens who oppose the invasion as supporters of neo-Nazis and genocide.” A spokesman said false stories were circulating targeting the Canadian Armed Forces. “It is not surprising that we have seen dedicated efforts to promote fake, anti-Canadian stories designed to appear authentic to members of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Ryan Forman. A former sniper of the Canadian Armed Forces who left to fight Russian forces in Ukraine appeared after allegations that he had been killed were shared on the Internet for weeks. Posts on a Russian social networking site claimed that the man, named de guerre Wali, was killed by Russian Special Forces 20 minutes after arriving in Mariupol, the southern port city besieged by Russia. “I’m alive, as you can see,” Wali told CBC last month. “Not a scratch.”
“Russian has not changed his book”: expert
The intelligence service, which usually informs the government about the activities of foreign entities threatening Canada or its allies, said it was sharing some of its findings so that Canadians could be protected from misinformation amid the ongoing crisis. ». “Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering. The Russian invasion must stop and we will continue to work as part of the Canadian Government’s efforts to correct false narratives that undermine the facts,” Forman said. Former security analyst Stephanie Karvin, now an associate professor at Carleton University, said that despite Russia’s respectable intelligence capabilities, it has so far performed poorly and is not gaining much traction in the West. “I think they were very poor, shockingly poor, in fact,” he said. “I think pre-bunking may have played a big role in that. But the fact is, it just seems that Russia has not changed its book, and I think the West has changed.” However, Carvin warned that, like its military operations, Russia is likely to adjust its intelligence operations strategy. “All of this could change along the way,” he said.
Cyber attack warnings
The CSE has issued multiple warnings to electricity companies, banks and other critical Canadian infrastructure and economy elements to step up their defense against Russia-based cyber-threatening activity as the Western world responds to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. . The agency said it shares cyber threat information with key partners in Ukraine and cooperates with the Canadian Armed Forces through information exchange, cyber security and cyber operations. Carvin said she hopes to see more transparency from Canada’s intelligence services. “You can not do an update like this every day, but I think a good, timely update is important to the Canadian public and it informs them that there are these campaigns, which can be important along the way – say, during during an election, “he said. “Just because these campaigns are out there does not necessarily mean that they are successful and that everyone should lose their minds about it. [a reminder] be aware that such campaigns exist and that the national security community is monitoring. “
