![]() Espionage and intelligence gathering in the modern era is asymmetrical and non-linear. For the right price, you can even hire a freelance cyber-espionage group and name your own target. While all of the superpowers that long dominated the shadowy cloak-and-dagger world have their own cyber espionage initiatives, the increased accessibility has opened the door to smaller nations, organized crime groups, and even resourceful individuals. Small or large groups can easily carry out clandestine missions on a global scale using off-the-shelf computer hardware, a cheap network connection, and some programming know-how. But times have changed since the days of Ian Fleming and Gary Powers, and the now ubiquitous use of computer networks - even for highly classified documents and communications - has dramatically lowered the bar to entry for countries, groups, and even individuals to set up their own digital sleuthing operations.Įstablishing a cyberespionage program doesn’t require highly trained secret agents, stealthy spy planes, or top-secret eavesdropping equipment. ![]() Not all of us can afford our own Quartermaster, after all. Spycraft used to be an expensive game reserved for the wealthiest of nations. This is not often a crime of opportunity. Cyber espionage targets can vary from individuals to entire populations or governments, but the threat actor almost always has a target defined before beginning a campaign. A specific target and/or motive: Many cyberattacks are indiscriminate, victimizing any individual or group unlucky enough to download the wrong app, click the wrong link, or otherwise fall into the crosshairs of the attacker.Interestingly, the type of information targeted in cyber espionage is often not subject to data breach reporting and notification laws, which could mean that such attacks could be underreported in cybersecurity statistics. Cyber espionage attacks tend to have a different focus, going after the closely guarded secrets of rival nations, intellectual property and advanced technology of corporate competitors, or private communications of dissidents or political adversaries. Access or theft of sensitive information or intellectual property: Many types of cybercrime target customer data, financial information such as account numbers, or the digital infrastructure that organizations use to carry out day-to-day operations.The use of zero-day exploits and custom malware that can’t be identified through signature-based antivirus is common. Perpetrators may go to great lengths to conceal their actions, their motives, and their identities. An emphasis on covert action: In contrast with other types of attacks like ransomware, cyber espionage generally seeks to remain undetectable throughout the entire lifecycle of the attack.However, there are some consistent factors that will often serve to differentiate cyber espionage from other types of cyberattacks: It can be carried out at a small or large scale, vary in sophistication, and target anything from a single user to an entire region. Nailing down a precise cyber espionage definition is difficult, as it's an inherently secretive and wide-ranging set of potential activities. Get the Free Essential Guide to US Data Protection Compliance and Regulations Which factors define a cyber espionage attack? ![]() history.” And for repressive regimes, social media, smartphones, and search histories have become tools for monitoring and suppressing dissent. The digital theft of intellectual property and trade secrets has been called “the greatest transfer of wealth in U.S. State-sponsored hackers have used digital campaigns to upend the geopolitical order. Once a novelty, espionage operations in cyberspace are now commonplace, but with very real-world implications. It may not be as sexy as James Bond outwitting an arms dealer at the baccarat table, but cyber espionage is making a profound global impact politically, culturally, and economically. In truth, though, today’s intelligence-gathering operations often take place in the digital realm. The word espionage for many may conjure up images of globe-trotting secret agents, smoke-filled backrooms filled with mysterious figures, and satellites peering into forbidden spaces from thousands of miles above.
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