A security analyst reviews a report on a recent cyber attack against a major government contractor. The attack was extremely sophisticated, persistent, and used custom-built malware that required a large team and significant funding to develop. The primary motive appears to be espionage. Which threat actor is MOST likely responsible for this attack?
Nation-state actors are backed by governments and possess significant financial resources, advanced technical capabilities, and large teams. This allows them to conduct highly sophisticated, long-term attacks (often called Advanced Persistent Threats or APTs) using custom malware, with espionage being a common motive. Unskilled attackers lack the technical skills and funding for such an operation. Hacktivists are typically motivated by a political or social cause and, while sometimes sophisticated, usually lack the extensive resources of a nation-state. An insider threat's primary advantage is authorized access, but they do not typically command the external resources and large teams required for an attack of this scale.
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What makes nation-state actors different from other types of threat actors?
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What is a zero-day vulnerability, and why is it significant in nation-state attacks?
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How do nation-state attacks impact global cybersecurity?