Ottawa: Canada is reviewing its security procedures after a navy intelligence officer recently admitted passing military secrets to Russians, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said on Thursday.
During a press conference in Calgary, Alberta, he said that, with the nature of threats constantly changing due to internet and cyber-security issues, intelligence agencies have to be "more aware of potential threats and move to act proactively".
Toews said he expects Canada`s reputation with its allies to remain intact, pointing out that such breaches are not unique to Canada and have also occurred in the US, reported Xinhua.
On Wednesday, 41-year-old Sub-Lt Jeffrey Paul Delisle pleaded guilty to three espionage-related charges in a Halifax court, including breach of trust and two counts of passing information to a foreign entity between July 2007 and January 2011.
Toews declined to comment on the specifics of the case until the naval officer is sentenced in January, when he could face life in prison.
Delisle, who was arrested in January, is the first person in Canada to enter a plea under the Security of Information Act, which is part of Canada`s post-9/11 anti-terrorism legislation.
He was posted to a naval intelligence center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was allegedly paid as much as 3,000 Canadian dollars a month to pass along classified information on a thumb drive to the Russian intelligence community.
Every time there is a compromise of information, Canada cooperates closely with its allies to ensure that "we minimise any damage that might have been done or ascertain the extent of that damage", Toews said.
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