A threat actor or “malicious actor” is defined as either a person or a group of people that take part in an action that is intended to cause harm in the cyber realm. They engage in cyber related offenses to exploit open vulnerabilities in many different manners. Their targets can be individuals, or even large corporations.
According to the 2022 DBI Report, 82% of data breaches involved the Human Element, with 62% of incidents involving threat actors compromising their targets. Bad actors can use different methods of attack such as Phishing, Vishing and SMiShing to exploit their victims.
Their approach however has varied over the years. Attackers continuously alter and tailor their malicious techniques as they adapt to new technology and an ever-changing world scene. In this article we will review different types of malicious actors, their motives, and recent exploits they have found in society today.
A Lineup of Threat Actors
So, we know what a threat actor is. However, we can further examine different types of bad actors and categorize them into different groups mentioned below. Each type of threat actor will have their own distinct motives, techniques, targets, and uses for stolen data.
Cyber Criminals
Cyber criminals’ main objectives are to infiltrate a system to access valuable data while ensuring they avoid legal consequences after doing so. Most seek financial rewards or notoriety in their peer groups and use various…
