Chris Wattie / Reuters Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale takes takes part in a news conference with Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould in Ottawa on June 20, 2017.

OTTAWA — The Liberal government's ill-defined plan to give Canada's cyberspy agency wide-ranging powers to go on the attack against threats could trample civil liberties, warns a newly released analysis. The report by leading Canadian cybersecurity researchers says there is no clear rationale for expanding the Communications Security Establishment's mandate to conduct offensive operations. "The case has not been made that such powers are necessary, nor that they will result in a net benefit to the security of Canadians." The 71-page report, made public today, was prepared by a team of five researchers from the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic at the University of Ottawa. Earlier:

It delves into intricacies of the sweeping Liberal security bill, tabled in June, that would give the CSE new authority to conduct both defensive and offensive cyberoperations. The report makes 45 recommendations to safeguard privacy and human rights. The Ottawa-based CSE uses highly advanced technology to intercept, sort and analyze foreign communications for nuggets of intelligence that are of interest to the federal government. It is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance that also includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The secretive CSE has been thrust into the headlines in recent years due to leaks by Edward Snowden, the former spy contractor who worked for the National Security Agency, the CSE's American counterpart. The Liberal legislation, which followed extensive public consultations, would give the CSE new muscle to engage in state-sponsored hacking and other covert measures. It would be authorized to interfere "with the capabilities, intentions or activities of a foreign individual, state, organization or terrorist group as they relate to international affairs, defence or security."

Chris Wattie / Reuters A sign is pictured outside the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) headquarters in Ottawa on Jan. 28, 2015.