MP Genuis Says Chinese Hackers Targeted His Personal Email, Rejects ‘No Cybersecurity Impacts’ Claim From House Speaker’s Office

MP Genuis Claims Chinese Hackers Targeted His Personal Email, Disputes House Speaker’s Office Denial of Cybersecurity Breach

May 3, 2024 TruthUSA

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis revealed that a group of Chinese hackers targeted his personal email, along with those of 18 Canadian parliamentarians in a cyberattack. He contradicted the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons’ statement claiming that the attacks had no cybersecurity impact.

Speaking in the House of Commons on May 1, Genuis stated, “The cyberattack against me from APT31 did not target my parliamentary email account. While in many cases parliamentary accounts were targeted, in my case the cyberattack targeted my personal non-parliamentary account.”

He added, “I have no idea how APT31 came to access my personal non-parliamentary account, because it is not publicly available.”

APT31, also known as Advanced Persistent Threat 31, is linked to a Chinese spy agency. Recently, U.S. authorities charged seven hackers associated with APT31 in a significant indictment, highlighting their 14-year history of targeting various individuals and organizations critical of the Chinese regime. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on these hackers, believed to be based in China.

Nayeli Sosa from Canada’s Communications Security Establishment confirmed APT31’s targeting of Canada, as reported by CBC News on March 26. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc also addressed the issue during a press conference in Halifax on the same day, emphasizing Canada’s awareness of cyberattack threats.

The Chinese hackers focused on members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of international legislators dedicated to reshaping democratic countries’ stance on Beijing. Both Genuis and Liberal MP John McKay, co-chairs of IPAC, stated in an April 29 release that APT31 targeted 18 Canadian MPs and senators.

‘Under Attack’

In response to the MPs’ remarks, the speaker’s office spokesperson released a statement, claiming that the House of Commons’ administration had investigated the incident.

“The House of Commons’ Administration investigates all reported incidents in collaboration with security partners. In this instance, it concluded that existing risk-mitigation strategies successfully deterred any potential attack,” explained Mathieu Gravel, the director of outreach and media relations.

He added, “There were no cybersecurity impacts on any Members of Parliament or their communications.”

On May 1, Genuis challenged House Speaker Greg Fergus, rejecting the speaker’s office statement. He pointed out that while the House of Commons may have thwarted attacks on MPs’ official communication accounts, it cannot guarantee protection against all cybersecurity threats targeting parliamentarians.

“Furthermore, your office cannot conclusively declare the prevention of these attacks, considering that members’ parliamentary and personal email addresses were evidently targeted,” Genuis emphasized.

“The House of Commons’ IT team, not an intelligence agency, lacks visibility on cyberattacks via personal accounts and doesn’t carry the same responsibilities as the Canadian government,” he argued.

Genuis stressed the government’s obligation to notify individuals affected by Chinese cyberattacks.

“Even when these threats are unsuccessful, parliamentarians should be informed. If someone tries to harm me but fails, I’d still want to know for future protection planning,” he insisted.

In response to The Epoch Times’ inquiry regarding Genuis’s concerns, the House Speaker’s Office reiterated its previous statement and declined further comment.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.

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