The country’s spy agency is warning companies in the vaccine supply chain that malicious foreign actors could threaten the largest inoculation program in Canadian history — by targeting their workers, among other tactics.
Just prior to the arrival of hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses in Canada, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) recently offered a briefing to industry players about the emerging threat.
One of the people taking part in that briefing was Pina Melchionna, president of the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation. The non-profit association helps Canadian companies manage delivery logistics.
Melchionna said some of her corporate members are taking part in vaccine deployment, including Air Canada Cargo and Shoppers Drug Mart.
“We’ve been told that the Canada supply chain in particular has been the interest of many foreign actors, and perhaps bad actors in that respect,” she told CBC News.
“I think … my takeaway from that session was definitely that this isn’t like TV, where spies are coming over to get our data. They are targeting people already working within companies who either have vulnerabilities, or who may be sloppy because of the tight deadlines we have in getting the vaccine to market.”
WATCH | Who could target Canada’s vaccine rollout?
Former CSIS director Ward Elcock says governments are likely watching for threats from organized crime and state actors when prepping vaccine security plans. 0:59
Many foreign intelligence agencies are known to manipulate individuals abroad — often through threats, harassment or the detention of family members. It’s an old-school espionage tactic described in a landmark intelligence report earlier this year.
But the threat is more alarming now, as Canadian government officials and distributors prepare to vaccinate millions of people against COVID-19 by the end of next year.
A spokesperson for CSIS said the agency has reached out to supply chain associations and industry to tell them what to look out for as they brace for threats to the vaccine rollout.
“CSIS observes persistent and sophisticated state-sponsored threat activity, including harm to individual Canadian companies, as well as the mounting toll on Canada’s vital assets and knowledge-based economy,” said agency spokesperson John Townsend.
“As a result, CSIS is working closely with government partners to ensure that as many Canadian businesses and different levels of government as possible are aware of the threat environment and that they have the information they need to implement preemptive security measures.”
When asked which foreign actors might be targeting Canada’s vaccine rollout, Townsend pointed to a July briefing CSIS gave to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce which flagged China and Russia as countries actively involved in commercial espionage.
Earlier this summer, intelligence agencies warned that a hacker group “almost certainly” backed by Russia was trying to steal COVID-19-related vaccine research in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. And the United States recently confirmed that hackers — widely believed to be backed by Moscow — hit multiple federal departments in a months-long operation.
A bid to ‘undermine confidence’?
Jessica Davis is a former senior intelligence analyst with CSIS who now heads the private consulting firm Insight Threat Intelligence. She said state-sponsored actors have a laundry list of motivations for interfering in Canada’s vaccine rollout strategy.
“Perhaps to again gain access to the vaccine, or also to prevent adversaries from gaining access to the vaccine or a fully vaccinated population. There are economic and security benefits from being the first, or among the first countries to achieve that status,” she said.
“If they can get into the supply chain, that demonstrates [their] capability to get into it, probably at a variety of different points. So it undermines confidence in that distribution system … that could be one of the primary purposes there.
“Gaining access to one vaccine or one distribution site isn’t necessarily the end goal, but undermining that process could be the end goal for a state actor.”
Other antagonists, like terrorist organizations, might be looking to disrupt the rollout itself, Davis said.
“Or it could also be people who are actually opposed to vaccines in and of themselves who are seeking to take action against that distribution,” she said. “So there’s a wide variety of actors here. And with CSIS and potentially other law enforcement agencies briefing members of the supply chain, that really tells me the number of actors could be really large and the threats are very real.”
Former CSIS director Ward Elcock said organized crime is also likely interested in getting its hands on vaccines as shipments fan out across the country.
“This is as valuable as gold at this point in time,” he told CBC’s Power and Politics last week. “If you’re a criminal organization, you can make money out of anything. People make money off of cigarettes. They make money off of drugs. This is no different than any other commodity.”
The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were unloaded in Ontario on Sunday, kicking off a complex rollout plan. (Office of Premier Doug Ford)
Melchionna said CSIS also warned companies about the need to keep their data secure. For example, a smaller company with more relaxed security protocols could put others at risk if it’s breached.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and I think that absolutely holds true for the supply chain,” she said.
“The project vaccine deployment is so large and involves so many organizations working against aggressive timelines that I think bad actors are hoping to capitalize on sloppiness in the supply chain. And [the] supply chain is very data-rich.”
CSE watching for foreign threats
A spokesperson for the Communications Security Establishment, the country’s foreign signals intelligence agency, said the intelligence agency has been providing cybersecurity advice as well, through regular calls with the health care sector to share threat information.
“CSE and its Canadian Centre for Cyber Security continue to work with our domestic and international partners to support the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine research and distribution,” said Evan Koronewski.
“It is always important to note that we continue to monitor for cyber threats through our foreign intelligence mandate. We are working with our Canadian security and intelligence partners, including the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, to address foreign and cyber threats facing Canada.”
Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander leading vaccination logistics at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the agency is aware of the threats to their mass distribution plan.
Britain, the United States and Canada accused Russia in July of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a COVID-19 vaccine. (Ted Warren/Associated Press)
“So we pay attention to the wide range of threats. Agencies, the police services are paying to those threats that fall … in their lanes, and [are] very much ensuring that the appropriate levels in the provinces and territories are made aware of what those are. And they will continue to do that moving forward,” he said during a briefing in Ottawa last week.
“But I think the underlying issue that you’re raising here is that we need to ensure that some information is not divulged, for obvious reasons. So when it comes to the exact routing [of vaccine shipments], we prefer not to disclose the routing, the exact location or transfer points in the cold chain to protect the integrity of the … supply chain.”
Spotting anomalies harder in 2020
While the threat is severe, industry players say they’re taking it seriously and Canadians shouldn’t be concerned.
“Every key player, from manufacturing to distribution, is keenly aware of the security risks inherent in this operation and is therefore continually assessing and actively preparing for the full gamut of potential threats, including [threats] to infrastructure, personnel and cybersecurity, among others,” said Simona Zara, a spokesperson for Supply Chain Canada, a group which represents the supply chain sector in this country.
“An operation this complex requires collaboration and clear communication between government, the private sector and stakeholders.”
Drone Delivery Canada, which has been in talks with the federal government about delivering vaccines to remote communities, said it knows immediately if a drone is tampered with or goes missing.
“Our drones are federally regulated. They have a tail number. So if you planned to interfere with one of our drones that’s [not even] carrying … vaccines, even just PPE or just regular cargo, it would be a federal offence,” president Michael Zahra said.
“I think it’s highly unlikely, given the security that we have at point of origin and point of destination. We are constantly tracking our drones exactly where they are. So we know what the situation is with a drone. If anything were to happen — which is, again, highly unlikely — we know exactly where everything is in real time.”
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Three NASA astronauts whose prolonged space station mission ended with a trip to the hospital last month declined to say Friday which one of them was sick.
Astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps publicly discussed their spaceflight for the first time since returning from the International Space Station on Oct. 25. They spent nearly eight months in orbit, longer than expected because of all the trouble with Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule and rough weather, including Hurricane Milton.
Soon after their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast, the three were taken to a hospital in nearby Pensacola along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, who launched with them back in March.
One of the Americans ended up spending the night there for an undisclosed “medical issue.” NASA declined to say who was hospitalized or why, citing medical privacy.
When asked at Friday’s news conference which one had been sick, the astronauts refused to comment. Barratt, a doctor who specializes in space medicine, declined to even describe the symptoms that the unidentified astronaut had.
“Spaceflight is still something we don’t fully understand. We’re finding things that we don’t expect sometimes. This was one of those times and we’re still piecing things together on this,” said Barratt, the only member of the crew who had flown in space before.
Epps said everyone is different in how they respond to space — and gravity.
“That’s the part that you can’t predict,” she said, adding, “Every day is better than the day before.”
Dominick said little things like sitting comfortably in a hard chair took several days to get used to once he returned. He said he didn’t use the treadmill at all during his time in space, as part of an experiment to see what equipment might be pared on a long trip to Mars. The first time he walked was when he got out of the capsule.
The two astronauts who served as test pilots for Boeing’s Starliner — Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — will remain at the space station until February, flying back with SpaceX. Starliner returned empty in September.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Forty-three monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been spotted in the woods near the site and workers are using food to try to recapture them, authorities said Friday.
The Rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee didn’t fully lock a door as she fed and checked on them, officials said.
“They are very social monkeys and they travel in groups, so when the first couple go out the door the others tend to just follow right along,” Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told CBS News.
Westergaard said his main goal is to have the monkeys returned safely with no other problems. “I think they are having an adventure,” he said.
The monkeys on Friday were exploring the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis compound and are cooing at the monkeys inside, police said in a statement.
“The primates are exhibiting calm and playful behavior, which is a positive indication,” the police statement said, adding company workers are closely watching the monkeys while keeping their distance as they work to safely recapture them.
The monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females weighing about 7 pounds (3 kilograms).
Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police all said the monkeys pose no risk to public health. The facility breeds the monkeys to sell to medical and other researchers.
“They are not infected with any disease whatsoever. They are harmless and a little skittish,” Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander said Thursday.
Authorities still recommend that people who live near the compound about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from downtown Yemassee shut their windows and doors and call 911 if they see the monkeys. Approaching them could make them more skittish and harder to capture, officials said.
Eve Cooper, a biology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who has studied rhesus macaques, said the animals have the potential to be dangerous and urged people to keep their distance.
Rhesus macaques monkeys can be aggressive. And some carry the herpes B virus, which can be fatal to humans, Cooper said.
However, Alpha Genesis states on its website that it specializes in pathogen-free primates. Cooper noted that there are pathogen-free populations of rhesus macaques that have been quarantined and tested.
“I would give them a wide berth,” Cooper said. “They’re unpredictable animals. And they can behave quite aggressively when they’re afraid.”
Alpha Genesis provides primates for research worldwide at its compound about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia, according to its website.
Locally, it is known as “the monkey farm.” And there is more amusement than panic around Yemassee and its population of about 1,100 just off Interstate 95 about 2 miles from Auldbrass Plantation, a Frank Lloyd Wright house designed in the 1930s.
There have been escapes before, but the monkeys haven’t caused problems, said William McCoy, who owns Lowcountry Horology, a clock and watch repair shop.
“They normally come home because that’s where the food is,” he said.
McCoy has lived in Yemassee for about two years and while he plans to stay away from the monkeys, he has his own light-hearted plan to get them back.
“I’m stocking up bananas, maybe they’ll show up,” McCoy said.
The Alpha Genesis compound is regularly inspected by federal officials.
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 in part after officials said 26 primates escaped from the Yemassee facility in 2014 and an additional 19 got out in 2016.
The company’s fine was also issued because of individual monkey escapes as well as the killing of one monkey by others when it was placed in the wrong social group, according to a report from the USDA.
The group Stop Animal Exploitation Now sent a letter Thursday to the USDA asking the agency to immediately send an inspector to the Alpha Genesis facility, conduct a thorough investigation and treat them as a repeated violator. The group was involved in the 2018 fine against the company.
“The clear carelessness which allowed these 40 monkeys to escape endangered not only the safety of the animals, but also put the residents of South Carolina at risk,” wrote Michael Budkie, executive director of the group.
The USDA, which has inspected the compound 10 times since 2020, didn’t immediately respond to the letter.
The facility’s most recent federal inspection in May showed there were about 6,700 primates on site and no issues.
In a 2022 review, federal veterinarians reported two animals died when their fingers were trapped in structures and they were exposed to harsh weather. They also found cages weren’t adequately secure. Inspectors said criminal charges, civil penalties or other sanctions could follow if the problems weren’t fixed.
Since then, Alpha Genesis has undergone six inspections with minor problems reported only once.
In January 2023, the USDA said temperatures were out of the 45 to 85 degree Fahrenheit (7.2 to 29.5 degree Celsius) required range at some of the compound’s monkey cages. The inspection found moldy food in one bin, sharp edges on a gate that could cut an animal and sludge, food waste, used medical supplies, mechanical equipment, and general construction debris on the grounds.
Supporters of medical research involving nonhuman primates said they are critical to lifesaving medical advances like creating vaccines against COVID-19 because of their similarities to people. Keeping a domestic supply of the animals is critical to prevent shortages for U.S. researchers.
Humans have been using the rhesus macaque for scientific research since the late 1800s. Scientists believe that rhesus macaques and humans split from a common ancestor about 25 million years ago and share about 93% of the same DNA.
These monkeys have been launched into space on V2 rockets, used for AIDS research, had their genome mapped and made stars of their own reality television show. They were in such high demand in the early 2000s that a shortage led to scientists paying up to $10,000 per animal.
Outside of rats and mice, rhesus macaques are one of the most studied animals on the planet, said Dario Maestripieri, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago who wrote the 2007 book “Macachiavellian Intelligence: How Rhesus Macaques and Humans Have Conquered the World.”
The animals are very family oriented, siding with relatives when fights break out. And they’re adept at building political alliances in the face of threats from other monkeys. But they can be painful to watch. Monkeys with lower status in the hierarchy live in a constant state of fear and intimidation, Maestripieri said.
“In some ways, they kind of represent some of the worst aspects of human nature,” Maestripieri said.
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Lovan reported from Louisville, Kentucky, and Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks with reporters after chairing a special cabinet committee working on Canada’s plan to deal with the incoming Donald Trump administration. Freeland says she’s stood up for Canadian interests in the past and is ready to go another round. (Nov. 8, 2024)
