Canada’s digital intelligence agency is warning that Iranian reprisals will “very likely” include cyberattacks.
“Canadian critical infrastructure operators and other possible targeted entities should remain vigilant to threats posed by cyber actors aligned with Iranian interests,” a bulletin from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security states.
“Pro-Iran hacktivists will likely view Canada as a target … due to Canada’s public support of the U.S./Israel military activity.”
The U.S. and Israel launched a joint campaign against Iran on Saturday. Iran has retaliated by barraging Israel and nearby U.S. allies with missiles and drones. While Canada might be out of range of Iranian munitions, it remains vulnerable to state-sponsored cyber threats.
‘Likely target opponents abroad’
According to the March 2 bulletin, Iranian retaliation against Canada could include cyberattacks on energy grids and government networks, as well as online harassment of military personnel, diaspora communities and political activists.
“Iranian state-sponsored cyber threat actors opportunistically target poorly secured critical infrastructure networks and internet-connected devices around the world, including those associated with the water and energy sectors,” the bulletin cautions.
“We assess that Iranian cyber threat actors will likely target opponents abroad, especially those advocating for regime change in Iran.”
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is part of Communications Security Establishment Canada, the federal agency responsible for cybersecurity and foreign signals intelligence.
By stating Iranian cyberattacks are “very likely,” the agency is assigning a high probability of 75 to 89 per cent. By describing Canada as a “likely” target, the agency is assigning a probability of 60 to 74 per cent.
‘Growing’ challenge
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s 2025-26 threat assessment report previously listed Iran alongside China and Russia as “the greatest strategic cyber threats to Canada.” The report also warned about state-affiliated cyber threats from North Korea and India.
“Iran’s increasing willingness to conduct disruptive cyberattacks beyond the Middle East, and its persistent efforts to track and monitor regime opponents through cyberspace present a growing cybersecurity challenge for Canada and our allies,” the report cautioned.
“While it is unlikely that Canada is, at present, a priority target of Iran’s cyber program, Iranian cyber threat actors likely have access to computer networks in Canada, including critical infrastructure.”
Critical infrastructure typically refers to essential systems like energy, water, transportation, health care and finance.
“We assess that our adversaries very likely consider civilian critical infrastructure to be a legitimate target for cyber sabotage in the event of a military conflict,” the threat assessment stated.
