OTTAWA – Canada’s spy agency is underscoring the national security threat from disgruntled federal employees after a troubled junior navy officer sold highly sensitive information to Russian intelligence.

A newly declassified analysis by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns that the Jeffrey Delisle case highlights the risk of the “insider threat” to Canada and the importance of protecting sensitive information.

Delisle, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison this year after pleading guilty to passing classified western intelligence to Russia in exchange for cash on a regular basis for more than four years.

The CSIS assessment says individuals who engage in insider espionage can be motivated by many factors, but selling secrets is usually the last act of a long-simmering emotional crisis.

Delisle was distraught over the breakup of his marriage, telling authorities he felt dead inside when he offered his services to Russia.

The Canadian Press obtained a heavily censored copy of the secret CSIS analysis under the Access to Information Act.