MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The CSE is in possession of tools able to "disable adversary infrastructure," "control adversary infrastructure," or "destroy adversary infrastructure," potentially targeting electricity, transportation or banking sectors, according to a 2011 document. The establishment can steal data from computers, The Intercept revealed.
According to the documents the media outlet received from US whistleblower Edward Snowden, Communications Security Establishment (CSE) hacked into computers in Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa to gather intelligence. The body has an array of tools facilitating "computer network exploitation" and "computer network attack" operations, The Intercept reported.
CSE and US National Security Agency (NSA) "cooperate closely," a 2013 briefing paper said. CSE was given access to surveillance tools developed by NSA, Snowden revealed.
The new information comes amid reports that Ottawa is debating giving more power to its spies.
In early June 2013, Snowden leaked 1.7 million classified documents that revealed the exhaustive, global and, in some cases, illegal range of NSA espionage activities.
His revelations resulted in public scrutiny and outrage over US global surveillance practices.
