Executive Summary
Daniel Rogers took over as Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)* on 28 October 2024. Among the challenges facing him are an increase in foreign interference in Canadian affairs from both the Chinese and Indian governments, which critics blame on intelligence failures–and acts of violence inside Canada’s borders. Additionally, the spy agency has battled internal scandals, including ones involving harassment and sexual assault, which former CSIS Director David Vigneault failed to resolve before stepping down from his position in July.
Profile
Daniel Rogers is a veteran of the Canadian intelligence community with a career spanning over 11 years of service in leadership roles. Rogers served as the Director of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Programs Requirements at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) from 2013 – 2016. Since then, he held several high ranking positions in the Canadian government, including Director of Operations for the Security and Intelligence Secretariat, Deputy Chief of Foreign Signals Intelligence, Associate Chief of CSE, and Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Emergency Preparedness and COVID Recovery). He currently sits as Deputy National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister and Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Emergency Preparedness).
Roger inherits an agency that has been troubled with intelligence leaks, internal scandals, and increasing concerns of violence and foreign interference by the public. Although the intelligence leaks did not come from within CSIS, Rogers has a vested interest in identifying the source and enacting appropriate measures to prevent future leakage of CSIS intelligence products. India’s Research and Analysis Wing’s assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 caused protests and increased citizens’ concerns of foreign governments activities inside Canada. Concern about Chinese interference in the Canadian government has increased in the past two years and raises issues around election integrity. In recent years, CSIS has struggled with the dysfunction of the government and unresolved broken processes related to the lack of action by the government on serious issues.
