Cybersecurity Threat Actors Overview

Individuals or groups who pose a security risk, varying widely in motivation and resources.

Sophisticated groups backed by government resources, often with strategic goals like political gain or military advantage.

Hacktivists aim to raise awareness or promote a cause through online action.

Hacktivists use easily accessible tools and mass participation for actions such as defacement or denial-of-service attacks.

Nation-state actors employ methods to hide their actions and might utilize false-flag operations to evade detection.

Organized crime groups often target intellectual property or personal data theft for financial gain.

Organized crime uses methods like cryptojacking, ransomware, and data exfiltration, frequently with moderate sophistication.

Insider threat actors exploit privileged access to internal resources, making traditional security measures ineffective.

Security measures like the principle of least privilege, robust access controls, and security awareness training help address insider threats.

Malicious insiders (employees, contractors, ex-partners) may steal, delete, or damage data, often for personal gain or revenge.

The principle of avoiding attributing malice where ignorance or error is a sufficient explanation.

A five-step process for transforming raw information into usable intelligence for decision-making.

Requirements, Collection, Analysis, Feedback, and Dissemination are the steps in the Intelligence Cycle.

Identifying the information needed to address a specific issue or question.

Gathering raw data relevant to the issue or question.

Processing and interpreting the collected data to create a deeper understanding of the situation.

Distributing the processed and analyzed intelligence to relevant parties for decision-making.

The initial step in the intelligence cycle where you identify, prioritize, and refine uncertainties in the operational environment to achieve the intelligence mission.

The phase where you gather data to fill the intelligence gap. This involves using various methods like network taps, enhanced logging, and open-source intelligence.

The step where you process the collected information, interpret its meaning, and prioritize it against the initial requirements. This involves using structured analytical techniques to mitigate bias.

The last step where you communicate the intelligence findings to the customer using predefined methods, informing them of the threat and providing a clear path forward.

Intelligence that is useful and can be acted upon to improve security measures.

A continuous process where intelligence is evaluated, improved, and used to guide future collection efforts.

Common, readily available malware sold to cybercriminals for quick and easy attacks.

A business model where malware is designed, built, and sold to customers as a subscription service.

Groups of organizations that share threat data and best practices to enhance cybersecurity.

A structured method of exchanging threat data between organizations, often using standardized formats and protocols.

Actionable intelligence is useful and can be applied to make proactive security decisions and improve defenses.

Feedback from consumers helps analysts improve the quality of intelligence, align their products with needs, and refine their methods.

An industry-specific organization that helps companies share information about threats and best practices.

Focuses on sharing information related to security threats for connected vehicles.

Dedicated to protecting the global aviation network from security threats.

Facilitates information sharing among communication providers like internet and phone companies, broadcasters, and satellite companies.

Focuses on security issues related to the electricity industry.

Works to protect the security of elections from local to federal levels.

A long-standing organization dedicated to protecting the financial services industry from threats.

Shares information about security threats to the health industry, including hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies.