Threat actors are the driving force behind most cyberattacks. Knowing who they are, what motivates them, and how they operate helps organizations build a proactive, intelligence-led defense strategy.
At ThreatConnect, we provide the tools and context to help you confidently identify, track, and prioritize threat actors. Our platform turns scattered threat data into actionable intelligence so you can anticipate threats, make informed decisions, and strengthen your security posture against threat actors.
What Are Threat Actors in Cybersecurity?
Threat actors intentionally carry out actions to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of digital systems, networks, or data. They differ from general system vulnerabilities or accidental insiders. The behavior of these individuals, groups, or entities is usually strategic, goal-driven, and often tied to broader objectives — financial gain, political influence, espionage, disruption, or ideological messaging.
Threat actors vary in skill and funding. Some are opportunistic cybercriminals using basic tools like phishing kits or off-the-shelf malware. Others are advanced persistent threats (APTs), often backed by nation-states that carry out long-term, stealthy attacks using custom tools and infrastructure. These threat actors might work alone or as part of large, organized groups with clear structures and financial backing.
Types of Threat Actors
Common threat actor examples include:
- Cybercriminals: These are financially motivated actors who engage in illicit activities such as ransomware deployment, data theft, financial fraud, and the sale of stolen credentials. The VanHelsingRaaS Ransomware is an example of this type of threat.
- Hacktivists: Individuals or collectives who are ideologically driven to carry out attacks such as website defacements, data leaks, and denial-of-service assaults are known as hacktivists. They support political, social, or environmental causes.
- Insiders: These are current or former employees, contractors, or trusted partners who abuse legitimate access to systems or data for personal gain, retaliation, or under external influence.
- Nation-state or state-sponsored actors: They operate on behalf of governments, often conducting cyber espionage, sabotage, surveillance, or influence campaigns aligned with geopolitical goals. An example is the Famous Chollima North Korean state-sponsored cyber threat actor.
- Terrorists or extremist groups: Actors who exploit cyberspace to coordinate attacks, disseminate propaganda, recruit members, or disrupt critical infrastructure to advance violent agendas are known as terrorist or extremist threat actors.
- Thrill seekers: These individuals carry out cyberattacks or unauthorized digital activities primarily for excitement, challenge, or accomplishment, including amateur hackers and gamified attackers.
Common Targets for Cyber Threat Actors
Threat actors choose their targets based on motive, capabilities, and objectives. State-sponsored groups typically focus on critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and national security assets. Cybercriminals usually target data-rich environments or operations where downtime carries a high-stakes impact. Targets often include:
- Government agencies
- Financial institutions
- Health care providers
- Energy and utility companies
- Technology firms
- Supply chain vendors
Frequent Threat Actor Tactics
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2024, United States organizations lost over $16 billion to cybercrime. Business email compromise (BEC) and ransomware were among the most frequent and costly threats. Awareness of these methods is the first step in building effective detection and response strategies.
- Credential stuffing and brute-force attacks: Attackers try to enter enterprise systems and cloud services by testing large volumes of stolen or weak credentials.
- Command and control (C2) channels: These communication paths allow attackers to remotely direct infected systems and evade detection using encrypted or covert methods.
- Data exfiltration and ransomware: Adversaries may steal sensitive data for resale or intelligence, or they encrypt systems and demand ransom payments to restore access.
- Exploiting vulnerabilities: Threat actors scan for unpatched systems and publicly disclosed flaws to gain unauthorized access before organizations can apply fixes.
- Lateral movement: Once inside a network, threat actors use administrative tools and internal pathways to access additional assets and elevate privileges.
- Phishing attacks: These social engineering messages — via email, text, or voice calls — lure users into clicking malicious links, revealing credentials, or downloading malware.
Why Trust ThreatConnect for Protection?
ThreatConnect empowers threat intelligence analysts and security teams to stay ahead of threat actors by turning raw data into actionable intelligence. The Platform makes it easier to understand and act on real threats. Instead of getting overwhelmed with too much data, it highlights what matters — which threat actors are active, what tools they use, and how those threats relate to your environment.
- Unified threat library: ThreatConnect brings all your threat intelligence into one place. It pulls data from different feeds, filters the noise, and organizes it so you can track threat patterns, connect indicators, and act on reliable intel.
- Threat detection and prevention: Identify and block threats faster with built-in scoring and contextual data. ThreatConnect helps you catch attacker infrastructure early so security teams can act quickly.
- Vulnerability prioritization: ThreatConnect helps you focus on the vulnerabilities that threat actors are exploiting. It links threat intel with Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) so your team can fix the most dangerous gaps first instead of wasting time on low-risk issues.
- Threat hunting: Zero in on the alerts tied to known threat actors, investigate faster, spot suspicious behavior sooner, and stop attacks before they spread.
- Federated search: You can look across all your intel sources — structured and unstructured — from one screen to find what you need faster and take action sooner.
Strengthen Your Defense Against Threat Actors
ThreatConnect gives your team the clarity and speed to stay ahead of threat actors. Contact us or schedule a demo to see how we can help your team outpace today’s most advanced threats.