October 30, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Canada’s cyber security agency is warning that hackers with activist motives have been tampering with systems that control water, energy and agricultural facilities across the country.
In an alert sent to information security officers, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security said it and the RCMP have received multiple reports in recent weeks of incidents involving internet-connected industrial control systems.
The agency said interference with water pressure at one unnamed facility affected service to a community, while manipulation of an automated tank gauge triggered false alarms at a Canadian oil and gas company.
A third incident involved changes to temperature and humidity levels in a grain-drying silo on a farm, creating potentially unsafe conditions.
The Cyber Centre, a branch of the Communications Security Establishment, said the incidents highlight how organizations can become “victims of opportunity” as hacktivists seek media attention, attempt to discredit institutions and undermine Canada’s reputation.
Industrial control systems allow critical service providers in sectors such as energy, water, health and finance to remotely monitor and manage physical equipment. When these systems are connected to the internet, they become attractive targets for threat actors aiming to disrupt essential services.
The alert did not identify who might be responsible for the recent interference.
Paul Shaver, an operational technology security specialist with Mandiant, part of Google Cloud, said pro-Russia hacktivists have previously targeted internet-connected systems linked to critical infrastructure. He said such groups often exploit unpatched vulnerabilities, weak security settings or default passwords.
Shaver said the incidents show the need for strong basic cyber hygiene, calling it “the most effective defence.”
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