A key to developing an effective cyber security system for any business is identifying the cyber threat actors looking to exploit it.

Cyber security services recognize various types of cyber threat actors and different behaviors exhibited by each.

To best protect a business from these threats, cyber security companies recommend learning about different threat actors and their motivations to implement effective techniques to stop them.

What Are Cyber Threat Actors?

In the world of cyber security, cyber threat actors are the people or organizations that act maliciously against companies by attempting to breach their networks or otherwise illegally access their data.

These malicious actors exploit weaknesses in networks, computers, and other devices to intentionally cause damage with their harmful attacks.

The goal of protecting a company’s networks and data is to determine which malicious actors are most likely to attack them and implement suitable solutions to prevent those types of attacks.

What Are The Different Types of Cyber Threat Actors?

To identify the best ways to protect against malicious actors, cyber security services have identified these eight different actors based on their motivators and the goals of their attacks:

Insider Threats - Cyber security companies recognize many attacks as originating from within an organization. Whether the purpose is financial gain, retaliation, exposing internal operations, or some other reason, insider threats stress the essential need for company-wide cyber security policies that include access tiers and other restrictions.
Nation-State Threats - Cyber attacks that are politically motivated or made in an attempt to achieve espionage-related goals.
Cyber Terrorists - Terrorist attacks that are frequently activist or politically motivated, with the goal of threatening organizations or forcing some type of change.
Hacktivists - Common attacks such as DDoS attacks, website vandalism, and similar effects that stop an organization from operating. Cyber security services find these to usually be actions taken by activists that hack into networks to make their complaints and demands known.
Organized Cyber Criminals - Criminals seeking financial gain by hacking networks to access business secrets, financial information, and other data using ransomware, malware, phishing attacks, and other methods of gaining access to a company’s data.
Script Kiddies - Simply stated, script kiddies use existing software to exploit network weaknesses and attempt to gain access, as they lack the expertise to develop their own. They are also the easiest cyber threat actors to protect against using standard protective measures like network activity monitoring, cyber threat detection, and others.
Lone Wolf Attackers - Cyber security companies find many threats executed by singular attackers who act on their own without the benefit of an entire organization or group behind them. While lone-wolf attacks may involve only one person who does not have the resources to launch a more sophisticated attack, they can still cause a great deal of damage.
Internal User Errors - Mistakes made within an organization that leaves the company vulnerable to attacks by others. As with script kiddies, the easiest way to protect against this type of threat is with good basic cyber security procedures in place that can monitor for unusual activity, viruses, malware, and other threats affecting the network.

Protect Against Cyber Threat Actors By Understanding How They Work

Though there are many different cyber threat actors that may try to access a company’s data, the trick to thwarting those efforts is knowing which are most likely to strike and how.

Cyber security companies have experience in identifying which of these actors are most likely to threaten a company and how to protect against their efforts.

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Everything You Should Know About Cyber Threat Actors!