Threat actor

<p>In <a href="/facts/Cybersecurity/7E5dIy7G">cybersecurity</a>, a threat actor, bad actor or malicious actor is either a person or a group of people that take part in <a href="/facts/Malice_(law)/fgEXpLdd">malicious</a> acts in the cyber realm including: <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computers</a>, devices, <a href="/facts/System/hmqQ4ASX">systems</a>, or <a href="/facts/Computer_network/3w5RM99p">networks</a>. <a href="/facts/Threat/uKM8t6DD">Threat</a> actors engage in cyber related offenses to exploit open <a href="/facts/Vulnerability/CJ1Mx1uG">vulnerabilities</a> and disrupt operations. Threat actors have different educational backgrounds, skills, and resources.  The frequency and classification of cyber attacks changes rapidly. The background of threat actors helps dictate who they target, how they attack, and what information they seek. There are a number of threat actors including: <a href="/facts/Cybercrime/cSyaFF96">cyber criminals</a>, <a href="/facts/Nation_state/1T5FVEJP">nation-state</a> actors, <a href="/facts/Ideology/BWooMbq7">ideologues</a>, thrill seekers/trolls, insiders, and competitors. These threat actors all have distinct motivations, techniques, targets, and uses of stolen data. 
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Threat actor open-in-new

Threat actor