Discussion: Motivations of Threat Actors

Discussion: Motivations of Threat Actors

Discussion: Motivations of Threat Actors

1. Analyze motivations to threat actors that can be influenced by (1) Patriotism or Regional Hegemony, (2) widespread national economic poverty, and (3) world view as a political or social activist.  What kinds of targets do each of these influences lead hackers to direct their cyberattacks towards?
2. Analyze the influence of anonymity on Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking.
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Four Main Types of Threat Actors

With such a broad definition, it can be helpful to think of threat actors in distinct groups that take different approaches in compromising corporate security. Recorded Future breaks down threat actors into four major categories:

Cyber criminals – Hackers and attackers that use techniques like phishing and ransomware when targeting individuals and corporations, typically in attempts to generate money from their cybercriminal activities.

Hacktivists – Threat actors that are typically motivated by political or social causes more than monetary gains in committing acts of “hactivism.” Hacktivists are more likely to take sites and networks down via DDoS and similar attacks or commit other acts of cyber vandalism as opposed to extorting businesses or individuals for money.

State-Sponsored Attackers – These threat actors are well-funded and well-organized cyber espionage entities that commit their activities with the backing of governments or similar large entities. State-sponsored attackers typically focus on infiltrating larger organizations with the intent to steal massive amounts of mission-critical and other sensitive data.

Insider Threats – Threat actors that intentionally or unintentionally provide sensitive corporate data to others, either by mistake, by not following security policies and best practices, by being duped or deceived by a cybercriminal, or by criminally obtaining and sharing information with cyber criminals for money or revenge.

Defending Against Threat Actors

Knowing your enemy can be vital when it comes to securing a corporation’s critical data, and applying threat intelligence with the different types of threat actors in mind is a crucial step to avoiding security breaches and minimizing the damage a breach can cause.

Additionally, with so many types of threat actors and potential motives and attacks, protecting against security threats requires a multi-pronged, continually evolving approach that involves diligent application and adherence to security best practices and policies — across the entire organization.