Message from the Director
Year in review: Adapting to a changing environment
The year 2025 has been one of turbulence for Canada, as it has for many countries in a less certain world. As the Government of Canada navigates increasing geopolitical and security challenges, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is playing an essential role in protecting national security and providing an intelligence advantage. In our 41-year history, our role has never been more critical.
This year’s Public Report reflects the complexity of Canada’s current national security environment. It highlights the impact of the demands on us and how we continue to meet the ever-growing challenges facing Canada.
While CSIS is often limited in what it can say publicly, it is my hope that this report strikes the right balance. Our goal is to be accurate, clear, and forthcoming while protecting the information that must remain secret to preserve the integrity of our operations. In a world where diplomacy and engagement are ever more important to our country’s security and prosperity, we will increasingly seek to resolve national security issues by working with foreign agencies who seek to defend our common interests, and by engaging and confronting foreign agencies who act against them. We will continue to collect intelligence, give advice, take action to protect Canada, and inform Canadians when it is in their interest. Even when we cannot speak about the actions we take and the information we hold, we remain accountable to Parliament, and under constant review by agencies who validate that our activities are in the best interests of Canada and Canadians.
Looking back, 2025 was full of major achievements and stark reminders. We achieved a number of counterterrorism successes that led to law enforcement action, including the arrests of Hide & Stalk members in Québec, and of a minor who intended to violently target Jewish people and police in Montréal. This report highlights examples of the progress we made in counterintelligence and counter-foreign interference efforts, how we countered life-threatening transnational repression, and how we prevented cyber intrusions by foreign states. Importantly, we also provided critical intelligence and advice to support Canada’s security as the Government pursued an ambitious economic growth and diversification agenda.
In 2025, we also took important strides to invest in our capabilities and to reprioritize our work around initiatives that drive the greatest value and impact. We received focused funding in Budget 2025, including $60 million to support Canada’s defence capabilities and increase our direct intelligence support to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Budget also provided $25.7 million to CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to support national security safeguards in the Consumer-Driven Banking Act.
Budget 2025 also required that federal organizations find annual savings as a result of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER), and CSIS was not exempt from that exercise. While we developed options to reduce our budget by up to 15%, the Government chose to set CSIS’ annual savings target at just 2%, aligned with the targets of some of our intelligence, defence, and law enforcement partners. This means finding savings of $14.4M on an ongoing basis starting in 2026. CSIS will achieve these savings by finding efficiencies in the way we work, reducing the number of executive positions, and adjusting existing programs rather than through any reduction in our highly specialized and security-vetted workforce.
Throughout 2025, we continued to build new bilateral and multilateral relationships and deepen our international partnerships. Our Five Eyes alliance remains strong, but we have found opportunity and advantage in deepening our work with regional partners in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Our many trusted intelligence relationships around the globe allow us to cooperate to defend shared interests, and to develop greater, more trusted alliances in service of our broader national interests. While not all of the foreign partners we engage with share all of the same values and interests as Canada, we work with them when our interests align and engage with them candidly to advance Canada’s interests when they do not. As we move into 2026, all of these efforts and more will be needed to build a more sovereign and resilient Canada.
Within CSIS, we focused on developing the leadership, skills, and workplace environment necessary for us to be at our best. Setting clear expectations and accountability for executives, addressing workplace conduct issues, and building trust across all levels and branches within CSIS through honest and direct engagement were areas of focus for me personally, and for my senior executive team. We appointed the first CSIS Ombuds and published our first annual report on misconduct and wrongdoing, which will each enable the organization to better address workplace issues transparently, ensuring that all within CSIS are held accountable for their obligation to foster an inclusive, engaged, positive, and supportive workplace. Our employees dedicate themselves to the service of their country and, more than ever, Canadians need them to work at their full potential—something that is only possible when they feel able to come to work as they are and contribute at their best.
As in previous years, this report shares details about what we have seen and what we have done over the last year. It is intended to arm Canadians with a better understanding of their national security context and the work we do to keep them safe, secure and prosperous. The examples shared about what we have seen are provided to help Canadians be more resilient against threats and to make more informed decisions. As Canadians read it, I hope that they also find reassurance that CSIS, and the rest of Canada’s security and intelligence community, is here and continues to work tirelessly in their service.
Dan Rogers
Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service