CSIS says violent extremism radicalization becoming more complex to counter

The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) says various evolving forms of violent extremism are becoming increasingly difficult to address and even understand, with secret and anonymous online radicalization challenging investigators’ ability to keep pace.

The agency’s annual report released Friday said violent extremism “continues to pose a significant threat to Canada’s national security and remains a critical operational priority for CSIS,” noting such extremism is “motivated by an increasingly diverse range of beliefs and convictions.”

Those sometimes conflicting beliefs create what CSIS calls a “salad bar” of motivating grievances — particularly in the ideologically-motivated violent extremism landscape, which the agency says is “complex, diverse, chaotic, and constantly evolving, which challenges our understanding of the national security threat.”

But it says other, emerging forms of extremism are further muddying the picture as radicalizing content proliferates online.

“Numerous factors, including the availability of violent extremist-created content on the internet, personalized and hybridized worldviews, and domestic and international events have contributed to create an environment where more Canadians are radicalizing and mobilizing to violence,” the report says.

Of particular concern is the threat of religiously motivated violent extremism, which CSIS says has “increased significantly” since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that sparked the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The agency said at least seven priority investigations in 2025 involving mobilization to violence cited the conflict as a motivating factor.

The report acknowledges an ongoing rise in both antisemitism and Islamophobia that has included hate-motivated crimes and threats. However, it noted CSIS did not observe any violent extremist plots targeting the Muslim community last year, while multiple plots against Jewish people were foiled.

Another concern has been the rise in what CSIS calls “nihilistic violent extremism,” which “promotes the belief that life lacks inherent meaning or purpose.” The goal of its followers, who are frequently youth and young adults, “is to engage in violent chaos.”

The report cites the March 2025 arrest of a 19-year-old Winnipeg man who’s facing terrorism charges due to his alleged links to the Maniac Murder Cult, or MKY, one of three online nihilistic extremist groups added to Canada’s list of terrorist entities last December.

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In general, CSIS said it observed “an overlap in content, aesthetics, conspiracy theories and grievance narratives” last year between different forms of violent extremism, “including those that are anti-liberal, anti-2SLGBTQIA+, antisemitic, and Islamophobic.”

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“On occasion, similar violent content is consumed, including gore sites, jihadi beheading videos, and attack manuals,” the report said.

“This shared interest suggests there may be a greater interest in the ‘how’ to commit acts of violence rather than the ‘why.'”

That speaks to a broader sense of radicalized individuals seizing upon events that create polarization and lost hope in the future to justify violent acts, it added.

A demographic study conducted by CSIS last year of violent extremism case files dating back to 2018 found an increase in both youth and older Canadians over the age of 48 among suspects investigated since 2022.

“CSIS sought to stay ahead of the curve in terms of understanding the drivers of mobilization to violence and the tactics used by extremists and violent extremist organizations, which is becoming increasingly difficult in the current threat environment,” the report says.

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The CSIS report detailed the wide range of threats it continues to encounter, many of them driven by foreign actors.

The agency said China, India, Russia, Iran and Pakistan remained the main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage last year.

“However, with shifting geopolitical realities and an increasingly multipolar global environment, these were not the only foreign states that sought to interfere in Canada,” the report said.

Instances of foreign interference ranged from cyberattacks and covert activities targeting Canadian politicians and public servants disguised as diplomacy, to transnational repression against diaspora communities.

Countering and identifying online disinformation by Russia and other foreign actors remains a key priority for CSIS, the report said.

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CSIS says it is developing a more robust presence in Canada’s Arctic as the region becomes a geopolitical and natural resource target for states like China and Russia.

“This past year, CSIS has seen certain states look to establish and maintain commercial or scientific operations (i.e., a physical presence) in Canada to provide them with a platform or cover to engage in threat activities against Canada and Canadians,” the report says in a section dedicated to the Arctic threat landscape.

Foreign state actors can use those operations and investments in critical infrastructure to exert influence over Canadian companies, governments and communities, it added, threatening Canada’s sovereignty.

CSIS said it is also prioritizing protections for Canada’s growing artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other advanced technology data and infrastructure that is quickly becoming a key target for hostile actors.