"Senior RCMP intelligence director arrested, facing multiple charges"

[The Bread Guy]

Usual caveat:  "… Any person charged with an offence has the right … to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal …" + nothing proven in court at this point.

A director general of an intelligence unit within the RCMP has been arrested and charged, Global News has confirmed.

Sources tell Global News Cameron Ortis is facing multiple charges under both the Criminal Code and the Security of Information Act.

A statement from the RCMP confirmed those charges “stem from activities alleged to have occurred during his tenure as an RCMP employee.”

Ortis is charged with:
•Section 14(1) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 22(1)(b) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 22(1)(e) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 122 of the Criminal Code
•Section 342.1(1) of the Criminal Code

Those charges relate specifically with unauthorized leaking of sensitive operational information and breach of trust, as well as unauthorized use of a computer.

The other counts refer to “obtaining, retaining or gaining access” to information and possessing a device “useful for concealing the content of information or surreptitiously communicating, obtaining or retaining information.

(…)

Sources tell Global News the investigation was extensive and that Ortis was arrested on Thursday in Ottawa.

He holds a Ph.D from the University of British Columbia focusing on cybersecurity in East Asia ...

More here, with this from the RCMP:

The RCMP can confirm that Cameron Ortis was charged under:
•Section 14(1) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 22(1)(b) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 22(1)(e) of the Security of Information Act
•Section 122 of the Criminal Code
•Section 342.1(1) of the Criminal Code

The charges stem from activities alleged to have occurred during his tenure as an RCMP employee.

As this investigation is ongoing, we will not be making any other comment at this time.

–30–​

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Ouch!!

 

[OldSolduer]

Wow. This will have far reaching repercussions. Not good.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

All joking aside.  Always a great thing when your top dog is allegedly playing for the other team!

Pete Rose style!

 

[Cloud Cover]

For reference to the charge relating to “special operational information”, the note below defines what constitutes special operational information from section in Section 8(1) of the Security of Information Act:

special operational information means information that the Government of Canada is taking measures to safeguard that reveals, or from which may be inferred,

(a) the identity of a person, agency, group, body or entity that was, is or is intended to be, has been approached to be, or has offered or agreed to be, a confidential source of information, intelligence or assistance to the Government of Canada;

(b) the nature or content of plans of the Government of Canada for military operations in respect of a potential, imminent or present armed conflict;

(c) the means that the Government of Canada used, uses or intends to use, or is capable of using, to covertly collect or obtain, or to decipher, assess, analyse, process, handle, report, communicate or otherwise deal with information or intelligence, including any vulnerabilities or limitations of those means;

(d) whether a place, person, agency, group, body or entity was, is or is intended to be the object of a covert investigation, or a covert collection of information or intelligence, by the Government of Canada;

(e) the identity of any person who is, has been or is intended to be covertly engaged in an information- or intelligence-collection activity or program of the Government of Canada that is covert in nature;

(f) the means that the Government of Canada used, uses or intends to use, or is capable of using, to protect or exploit any information or intelligence referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e), including, but not limited to, encryption and cryptographic systems, and any vulnerabilities or limitations of those means; or

(g) information or intelligence similar in nature to information or intelligence referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (f) that is in relation to, or received from, a foreign entity or terrorist group. (renseignements opérationnels spéciaux)

 

[dapaterson]

Identified as having a PhD in Political Science  "Bowing to Quirinus: Compromised Nodes and Cyber Security in East Asia"

http://liu.xplorex.com/sites/liu/files/Information/789/Newsletter26_06.pdf

 

[MarkOttawa]

From UBC Liu Centre 2006:

...
The Centre of International Relations is pleased to announce that  Dr.  Cameron  Ortis  has  joined  us,  on  a  postdoctoral  fellowship  appointment,  as our Security and Defence Program Manager. 

Cameron  Ortis  completed  his  PhD  studies  here  at  UBC  earlier  this  year.  His  dissertation examined “the relationship between rapid Internet diffusion and the emergence  of  new  threats  and  the  digitization  of  traditional  threats.”  In  con-junction with his thesis, Cameron conducted field work interviews in East Asia and Canada and has published on cyber security in East Asia with Paul Evans. Cameron  brings  a  broad  range  of  expertise  on  security  and  defence  issues,  civil-military relations, and Canadian foreign and defence policy to this position. Prior to graduate studies, Cameron’s experience included working with the UN World Food Programme for the Sudan (UNOLS).

Cameron’s duties will focus on orchestrating the range of activities in the Cen-tre’s SDF Program, including organizing of workshops and conferences, coor-dinating  with  other  centres  on  campus,  editing  the  Centre’s  Working  Paper  series, and facilitating the research agendas of faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.

Welcome, Cam!
http://liu.xplorex.com/sites/liu/files/Information/824/Newsletter29_061.pdf

Fellow actually has pretty minimal Internet footprint.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[JesseWZ]

For reference to the charge relating to “special operational information”, the note below defines what constitutes special operational information from section in Section 8(1) of the Security of Information Act:

special operational information means information that the Government of Canada is taking measures to safeguard that reveals, or from which may be inferred,

(a) the identity of a person, agency, group, body or entity that was, is or is intended to be, has been approached to be, or has offered or agreed to be, a confidential source of information, intelligence or assistance to the Government of Canada;

(b) the nature or content of plans of the Government of Canada for military operations in respect of a potential, imminent or present armed conflict;

(c) the means that the Government of Canada used, uses or intends to use, or is capable of using, to covertly collect or obtain, or to decipher, assess, analyse, process, handle, report, communicate or otherwise deal with information or intelligence, including any vulnerabilities or limitations of those means;

(d) whether a place, person, agency, group, body or entity was, is or is intended to be the object of a covert investigation, or a covert collection of information or intelligence, by the Government of Canada;

(e) the identity of any person who is, has been or is intended to be covertly engaged in an information- or intelligence-collection activity or program of the Government of Canada that is covert in nature;

(f) the means that the Government of Canada used, uses or intends to use, or is capable of using, to protect or exploit any information or intelligence referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e), including, but not limited to, encryption and cryptographic systems, and any vulnerabilities or limitations of those means; or

(g) information or intelligence similar in nature to information or intelligence referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (f) that is in relation to, or received from, a foreign entity or terrorist group. (renseignements opérationnels spéciaux)

All of those scenarios are very damaging on their own, and may well cause tension with the 5 Eyes and other allies if proven to be the case.

 

[Blackadder1916]

From UBC Liu Centre 2006:

Fellow actually has pretty minimal Internet footprint.

Mark
Ottawa

As I would expect from a government employee whose career seems to be focused on the security implications of the internet.

In the programme for a 2008 conference "THE POLICING CYBERSPACE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2008 (POLCYB CONFERENCE) "International Research and Collaboration in Global Security." September 29 to 30, 2008" Mr. Ortiz is identified as giving the following during one of the plenary sessions.

Critical Infrastructure and Botnets : Implications for Canadian National Security

Cameron Ortis, Ph.D. Senior Intelligence Research Specialist, National Security Criminal Investigations, RCMP, CANADA

 

[Jarnhamar]

So, paid administrative leave for a few years?

 

[Cloud Cover]

This is the specific program he held a senior position with:

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/nsci-ecsn/index-eng.htm

If he leaked SOI to targets of this teams work, the magnitude of this isn’t ever going to be made public. 

 

[Retired AF Guy]

From UBC Liu Centre 2006:

Fellow actually has pretty minimal Internet footprint.

Mark
Ottawa

In the May 1999 Volume XXVIII:1 issue of Canadian Political Science Association Bulletin he wrote an article entitled "political Art/ Political Science? The new age architectonic rocket." He is lsited as a MA candidate McMaster University.

From 1999 to 2006 he was studying at UBC for his Ph.D., Pol Sci.

In August 2006 at UBC he presented a thesis for getting Degree in Philosophy in the Faculty of Graduate Studies (Political Science). The thesis was titled "Compromised Nodes and Cyber Security in East Asia In the document its stated he has a B.A., University of Northern British Columbia, 1999 and a M.A., McMaster University, 1999.

At the The Policing Cyberspace International Conference 2008 (POLCYB CONFERENCE) held September 29 to 30, 2008, he give a lecture entitled “International Research and Collaboration in Global Security.” And he is listed as Cameron Ortis, Ph.D. Senior Intelligence Research Specialist, National Security Criminal Investigations, RCMP, CANADA.

In 2011 Ortis and Paul Evans published "The Internet and Asia-Pacific security: Old conflicts and new behaviour" in the Pacific Review Volume 16, Issue 4 (2003). Pages 549-550. | Published online: 04 Mar 2011.

I also found a listing that he had edited the CASIS 2006 International Conference: Final Report (Ottawa, 26-28 October 2006). CASIS -Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Seems the Americans are the ones who gave us the tip. 

Cleaning up our crap house...... Again. 

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Seems the Americans are the ones who gave us the tip. 

Cleaning up our crap house...... Again.

Haven't heard that one.

I stand corrected, found the Globalnews report that reported it.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... found the Globalnews report that reported it.

A bit more from the latest globalnews.ca piece ...

... The charges did not specify which foreign entity or what type of information, but a source said he had amassed “terabytes of information,” including a list of undercover operatives, when he was arrested in Ottawa on Thursday.

The source said Ortis was identified when U.S. authorities “flipped” a suspect who gave him up. His arrest is believed to be part of a wider operation involving NATO allies and the Five Eyes — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and U.K.

A source said the case involved “large quantities of information, which could compromise an untold number of investigations.” The source said Ortis had allegedly tried to sell information in 2015, and was gearing up to sell more.

(...)

As a civilian member of the RCMP’s strategic intelligence unit, Ortis had extensive access to the full range of operational intelligence, according to a source.

Because of his unique role, he knew about every major national security investigation at home and abroad, a source said ...

Not-yet-paid media or not, if the sources are close to true, holy crap ...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Seems the Americans are the ones who gave us the tip. 

Cleaning up our crap house...... Again.

well they had their own problems with spies and having their entire Humint network in China wiped out.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Nicely timed to land on the PM just after he announced the election...

Not that I’m a big JT fan, just seems fishy...

 

[MilEME09]

Nicely timed to land on the PM just after he announced the election...

Not that I’m a big JT fan, just seems fishy...

Well timed to bring the question of clout on the RCMP, how much was compromised? The Mark Norman affair? Terrorism investigations? Chinese cyber attacks? While we will probably not know who he was working for, this is the second major espionage case to hit the media in the past few years, less we all remember a certain former naval intelligence officer. The question has to be asked for it to reach so high in the RCMP was he willingly supply information or being coerced and black mailed?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Identified as having a PhD in Political Science  "Bowing to Quirinus: Compromised Nodes and Cyber Security in East Asia"

http://liu.xplorex.com/sites/liu/files/Information/789/Newsletter26_06.pdf

Translation: a civvy employed in a position that should have been filled by an experienced RCMP Officer because of a misplaced belief that our national police force needs to have more 'civilian oversight'.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Minimalist Linkedin profile with matching name ...