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The cyber threats organisations face are created by human beings, people who make mistakes and have foibles and weaknesses. At BAE Systems, we think that understanding the threat actors you face is the cornerstone of a strong business defence. These are the Unusual Suspects.
The Activist
Whatever their cause, it’s a burning one – and the Activist takes their political, religious or social cause outside the rule of law and on to the Internet. The Activist targets adversaries with data theft, reputational damage and the defacement of web sites and social media accounts.
The Activist’s tactics can be crude and impulsive – but they’re also often singularly effective. They may also be a smokescreen for other activities and threat actors.
The Getaway
Often blessed with merely basic hacking skills, the Getaway is curious, keen to learn, and also keen to impress peers or more senior cybercriminals. They may not understand the consequences or illegality of their actions.
The Insider
Their position inside the castle walls enables them to bypass security controls with ease, copying data onto USB drives, giving away passwords or even installing malware deliberately. Regardless, the Insider leaves a swath of destruction in their wake.
The Mule
They’re the most vulnerable to arrest, as they turn the proceeds of Internet-based criminal activity into cold, hard, untraceable cash. That might involve selling goods bought with stolen credit card details, or turning funds transferred into their personal bank account into wire service cash.
The Nation State Actor
Their tactics, tools and activities often represent the state of the art in cyber attacks, so are often mimicked or stolen by other Suspects.
The Professional
They may run a botnet, maintain an organised crime supply chain, or sell cyber crime tools to others. In the process they will have built a criminal network of consultants, contacts and specialists.
What’s needed now, more than ever, is business defence
BAE Systems can defend your business against these new cyber threats. We take a different approach. We handle information security using the same techniques, analytics and intelligence we pioneered to defend nations. Our revolutionary approach brings military-class security to the protection of corporate assets. We call it business defence. Learn more.