A threat actor motivated by political goals that is active for a short period of time but has virtually unlimited resources is BEST categorized as a:

A threat actor motivated by political goals that is active for a short period of time but has virtually unlimited resources is BEST categorized as a:
A . hacktivist.
B . nation-state
C . script kiddie
D . APT

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

Nation-State Actors

Actors sponsored by nation-states are characterized by a high level of sophistication and resources. They’re capable of carrying out large-scale attacks as well as advanced persistent threats (APTs), which are stealthy attacks whose purpose is to maintain a presence in the network for an extensive period of time, typically to collect targeted types of data. APTs can move laterally through a network and blend in with regular traffic ― one of the reasons they can go undetected for months and years and inflict a high degree of damage to an organization.

Nation-state actors focus on several attack vectors simultaneously and exploit a number of vulnerabilities. In recent years, many high-profile attacks have been attributed to nation-state actors.

Some countries use these sophisticated players to fund their regime. But more typically, nation-state actors are not motivated by direct financial gain. Their reasons may lie in national security, political espionage, military intelligence and even attempts to influence another nation’s political process. They may also after intellectual property data that could ultimately give the sponsoring nation a competitive advantage on the international market.

This category of attackers is well-funded and operates within an extensive support infrastructure that includes multiple hacker networks. Researchers have also been observing international collaboration between different groups of state-sponsored actors.