Understanding Threat Actors & Motivations

Domain 2 of the CompTIA Security+ certification exam, “Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations,” is segmented into five distinct sections. In this blog, our focus will be on understanding section 2.1 within this domain. In this section, we delve into the complex world of these actors, ranging from lone hackers to sophisticated cybercriminal organizations.

2.1 Compare and Contrast Common Threat Actors and Motivations

This section offers a comprehensive comparison of threat actors, shedding light on their varying motivations, which can vary from financial gain to political activism or even state-sponsored espionage. By comprehending these elements, Cybersecurity Professionals can better predict, identify, and mitigate potential threats, ensuring robust security in an increasingly digital world.

Threat Actors: This part defines the types of individuals or groups that pose threats in a cybersecurity context. It includes:

• Nation-State: These are government-sponsored groups that engage in cyber activities for espionage or to steal state secrets or intellectual property. For example, a government agency might hack into another country’s defense department to gather classified information.
• Unskilled Attacker: Also known as “script kiddies,” these individuals have limited technical skills and often use pre-made hacking tools to conduct attacks. These individuals may use readily available hacking tools to deface websites. For example, a teenager who uses a downloaded tool to perform a denial-of-service attack.
• Hacktivists: Hackers who are motivated by political or social causes. For example, a group might hack and take down a website to protest against a political decision or social injustice.
• Insider Threat: Employees or individuals with legitimate access who conduct malicious activities. For example, a disgruntled employee transmitting sensitive financial data to a competitor.
• Organized Crime: These groups engage in criminal activities for monetary gain, such as deploying ransomware to extort money from businesses.
• Shadow IT: This refers to IT systems or solutions used within an organization without explicit organizational approval. For example, an employee using a non-approved application for work-related tasks potentially exposes the network to vulnerabilities.

Attributes of Actors: These are the characteristics or resources that threat actors may possess.

• Internal/External: Defines the position or affiliation of a threat actor concerning the targeted organization or system.
• Resources/Funding: Refers to the financial or material capabilities available to a threat actor. It encompasses tools, technology, financial backing, or support networks enabling their malicious activities.
• Level of Sophistication/Capability: Indicates the threat actor’s skill level, technical expertise, and sophistication in executing cyber-attacks. It encompasses their knowledge of security systems, techniques, and the complexity of their attack methods.

Motivations of Threat Actors:There are various reasons why threat actors carry out their activities.

• Data Exfiltration: Threat actors may aim to steal sensitive or proprietary information from an organization, such as customer data, trade secrets, financial records, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or intellectual property.
• Espionage: Espionage involves spying or conducting covert operations to gain an economic, political, or strategic advantage over an individual, organization, or country.
• Service Disruption: Threat actors may seek to disrupt the normal operations of a service, system, or network, causing downtime, hindering functionality, or degradation of service quality.
• Blackmail: Cybercriminals may steal sensitive personal or organizational information and then threaten to release it unless specific demands, usually monetary, are met.
• Financial Gain: Threat actors engage in activities aimed at stealing or fraudulently obtaining money, often through methods like identity theft, banking fraud, or cryptocurrency scams.
• Philosophical/Political Beliefs: Some threat actors may act on personal convictions, beliefs, or ideologies, using cyber-attacks to further their philosophical or political agendas.
• Ethical: Certain hackers may perceive their actions as ethical, aiming to expose wrongdoing, enhance cybersecurity awareness, or advocate for privacy and security.
• Revenge: Threat actors may target an individual, organization, or entity in retaliation for a perceived injustice, prior conflict, or personal vendetta.
• Disruption/Chaos: Some threat actors aim to cause general disruption, chaos, or havoc without a specific end goal, often for the sake of causing damage or chaos.
• War: Engaging in cyber activities as part of a broader strategy in warfare, such as launching cyber-attacks against enemy infrastructure or systems.

The updated edition of CompTIA Security+, known as Security+ (SY0-701), introduces new features and improvements. Explore this link, “What is New in CompTIA Security+ SY0-701?” to discover the latest enhancements and updates incorporated in CompTIA Security+ SY0-701.

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