Cyber threats

Cyber threats are security incidents or circumstances with the potential to have a negative outcome for your network or other data management systems.

Examples of common types of security threats include phishing attacks that result in the installation of malware that infects your data, failure of a staff member to follow data protection protocols that cause a data breach, or even a tornado that takes down your company’s data headquarters, disrupting access.

Threats can be categorized as circumstances that compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of an asset, and can either be intentional or accidental.

Motive of Attackers

The categories of cyber-attackers enable us to better understand the attackers' motivations and the actions they take.

Cyber security risks arise from three types of actions:

i) inadvertent actions (generally by insiders) that are taken without malicious or harmful intent. 

ii) deliberate actions (by insiders or outsiders) that are taken intentionally and are meant to do harm and

iii) inaction (generally by insiders), such as a failure to act in a given situation, either because of a lack of appropriate skills, knowledge, guidance, or availability of the correct person to take action.

Primary concern here are deliberate actions, of which there are three categories of motivation.

1.Political motivations: examples include destroying, disrupting, or taking control of targets; espionage; and making political statements, protests, or retaliatory actions.

2. Economic motivations: examples include theft of intellectual property or other economically valuable assets (e.g., funds, credit card information); fraud; industrial espionage and sabotage; and blackmail.

3. Socio-cultural motivations: examples include attacks with philosophical, theological, political, and  even humanitarian goals.Socio-cultural motivations also include fun, curiosity, and a desire for publicity or ego gratification.