China targeting Canadian officials via LinkedIn, Five Eyes warn
Military intelligence services pose as recruiters to harvest unclassified government and defence data.
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Canada and its closest intelligence allies are warning that China's military intelligence services are systematically using professional networking sites and job platforms to target current and former Canadian government and military personnel.
The alert was issued Wednesday by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, along with counterparts in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the FBI. They say Chinese intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, think tanks, or human resources firms, placing online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts.
While applicants often lack direct access to classified information, successful candidates are then pressured to provide "non-public" material — unclassified data on government policy, military strategy, capabilities, and installations.
CSIS warns that even small pieces of information can be collected and combined with more sensitive reporting to undermine Canada's strategic interests and provide Beijing with advantage over the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. The agency emphasizes that vulnerability extends across all levels of the workforce, not just senior officials.