David Vigneault, Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), prepares to appear before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. The head of Canada's spy service says the way to shield advanced technology from adversaries like China and Russia is to educate researchers and scientists about the risks, not tell them what they should or should not do. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – The head of Canada’s spy service says the way to shield advanced technology from adversaries like China and Russia is to educate researchers and scientists about the risks, not tell them what they should or should not do.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault is taking part in a security summit in Palo Alto, Calif., with counterparts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Representatives of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance are gathering at the invitation of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray.
During a panel discussion today, Vigneault said Canada’s largest research universities were reluctant to openly discuss security issues when he met with them five or six years ago.
Vigneault said the relationship has evolved to the point where research institutions are now asking CSIS how they can help.
The Five Eyes partners issued guiding principles for researchers, urging them to be aware of the threats and to take steps to secure their business environments, products, partnerships and expansion plans.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2023.
