The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security on Wednesday said that the state-funded programmes from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea pose the greatest high-tech threats to Canada, AFP reported.

“The number of cyber threat actors is rising, and they are becoming more sophisticate,” the authority said while releasing a report.

“We assess that almost certainly the state-sponsored programs of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea pose the greatest state-sponsored cyber threats to Canadian individuals and organizations,” it added.

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The report said that the four countries are trying to build up capacities to disrupt key Canadian infrastructure, including electricity supply.

It also noted that the nations are expected to target intellectual property related to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to boost their own response to the disease.

“The most sophisticated capabilities belong to state-sponsored cyber threat actors who are motivated by economic, ideological, and geopolitical goals,” the centre said.

The centre added that Canadians and their companies have become victims of cyber spying and online influence campaigns.

Canadians lost over Can$43 million (US$32.8 million) to cybercrime fraud last year, according to the data released by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.