Who is trying to attack your Business?

Adversary or attackers to your business is commonly known as 'Threat Actor'. Common cyber security threat actors refer to the types of individuals or groups that pose a threat to an organization's cybersecurity. Some of the common threat actors include:

Hacktivists: These are individuals or groups with a political or social agenda who carry out cyber attacks to promote their cause or protest against an organization or government. Their motivations vary wildly, they may be from religious fundamentalists or terrorists like ISIS, extreme right/left-wing organizations, environmental extremists, etc. They may be attacking someone's cyber assets becaue they do not agree with them or

Cybercriminals: These are individuals or organized criminal groups motivated by financial gain. They engage in various cybercrimes, such as identity theft, credit card fraud, or ransomware attacks, to profit from their activities. If you are like most businesses, this is your number one adversary. Some of these may be Organized crime groups that leverage cyber attacks to generate revenue. They may target banks, financial institutions, or retail businesses to steal money, personal information, or trade secrets.

Nation-states/APTs: Governments or government-sponsored entities that conduct cyber attacks for political, economic, or intelligence purposes. They may engage in espionage, theft of intellectual property, or disruption of critical infrastructure. Sometimes these are also known as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, they are sophisticated and well-funded attackers who conduct long-term, targeted attacks against specific organizations or sectors. They often possess significant resources and utilize advanced techniques to breach defenses and maintain persistence in the target environment.

Insider Threats: Employees or individuals with authorized access to an organization's systems who misuse their privileges for personal gain or to cause harm. These can include disgruntled employees, former employees, or contractors. These can be very dangerous as the know your operating procedures, log in details, your strengths and weaknesses, and hence can cause massive damage.

Script Kiddies: These are less experienced individuals who use tools, scripts, or techniques created by others to carry out cyber attacks without having in-depth knowledge of hacking. These are generally opportunistic attackers who may attack your infra just because you may be an easy target and they are either trying to learn, or do this for bragging rights.

Cyber mercenaries: These are individuals or groups who offer their hacking skills and expertise in exchange for financial compensation. They may be hired by different entities, including governments, organizations, or individuals, to carry out cyber attacks on their behalf.

It's important to understand that these threat actors may overlap in terms of their motivations, capabilities, or actions. Organizations should employ a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy to defend against these threat actors and mitigate their impact.