2011 Canadian government hackings

In February 2011, news sources revealed that the Government of Canada suffered cyber attacks by foreign hackers using IP addresses from China.

[2] Auditor General Sheila Fraser has previously warned that the federal government's computer systems risk being breached.

[3] In 2005 she said the government still has to "translate its policies and standards into consistent, cost-effective practices that will result in a more secure IT environment in departments and agencies.

This information, once sent back to the hackers, could then be used to remotely access the computer and forward the email (with infecting attachment) onto others in order to proliferate the virus.

[6] Once detected, Canadian cybersecurity officials shut down all internet access from these departments in order to halt the exfiltration of information from hijacked computers.