The Cybersecurity Threat Landscape

1 The Cybersecurity Threat Landscape The information, communications and technological world is highly versatile and evolving. Through internet and web advancements, dynamic changes in the industry create opportunities for governments and businesses to operate, grow, and enhance their reach or penetration. Consequently, these technological advancements create opportunities for cybercriminals hence high chances of cyber crimes and cyber attacks. Given the dynamic nature of the IT world, cyber-attacks and penetration tactics are constantly changing as criminals continuously exploit new vulnerabilities in internet, web and software systems (Chen, Desmet &Huygens, 2014). As cyber security experts design defenses and protections against cyber attacks, the infiltrators and malicious entities develop new approaches and strategies to execute their ill intentions on target systems (Kaspersky, 2021). As a result of these emerging and evolving cyber threats, individuals, businesses, and organizations have to stay updated on emergent threats and attackers' operations, hence devising strategies and approaches to protect their data and business interests.

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2 According to Kaspersky (2021), the most sophisticated, distressing, and common cyber attacks in 2021 entailed crypto mining, phishing, Trojans and ransomware. These types of threats had queries ten times more than all other threats. Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) uses various sophisticated techniques to infiltrate corporate security systems, gain access to crucial assets and gain a foothold in the target systems for further exploitation, thus leading to damaging consequences. APTs employ an array of diverse penetration tactics and transform the target into their host over the cause of the attack (Brewer, 2014).

APTs require high levels of effort and planning; hence are most associated with highly resourced attackers or teams of hackers. Due to the higher magnitude of the APTs, they tend to target large organizations or businesses. APTs may also use small organizations to access their larger targets higher in the supply chain. Large companies need to monitor their transactions and operations in the supply chain and sanitize data emanating from small businesses in the supply chain (Kaspersky, 2021). APTs involve five stages: 

Stage 1: Get Access

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Stage 2: Launch a Footing

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Stage 3: Extend Access

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Stage 4: Move Laterally

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Stage 5: Look, Learn, and Remain Due to increased cyber security awareness and the complexity of corporate defenses,

APTs use tactics such as whaling or spear-phishing to target individuals in the target company,

3 given that private or individual networks are less protected or based on the vulnerability of the human factor (Tankard, 2011).

Conclusion Today, there is an influx of surveillance software vendors in the private sector. The software has great detection evasion and anti-analysis capabilities, thus high chances of users accessing large amounts of personal data and wider targets. Threat actors use these tools to gain incentives, data and information on targets hence higher chances of APT instances. Some of such tools include FinSpy and Slingshot (Kaspersky, 2021).

In the future, the most likely forms of APTs could involve mobile phones based on their portability, data and information holding capacity and defenselessness (lack of security packages). Supply chain attacks are also more likely to occur through cybercriminals targeting vendors and customers in business systems. Remote working also presents opportunities for APTs through employee unprotected computers and networks. Businesses using cloud and outsourced services may be susceptible to APTs based on unprotected infrastructure (Radicati Group, 2022).

4 References Brewer, R. (2014). Advanced persistent threats: minimizing the damage. Network security, 2014(4), 5-9.

Chen, P., Desmet, L., & Huygens, C. (2014, September). A study on advanced persistent threats.

In IFIP International Conference on Communications and Multimedia Security (pp. 6372). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Kaspersky (2021, November). Advanced Persistent Threats in 2022: what to look out for next year. https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2021_advanced-persistent-threatsin-2022-what-to-look-out-for-next-year Tankard, C. (2011). Advanced persistent threats and how to monitor and deter them. Network security, 2011(8), 16-19.

The Radicati Group, Inc (2022, March). Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Protection- Market Quadrant 2022. https://www.eset.com/fileadmin/ESET/INT/Landing/2022/Radicati_APT_Protection_202 2/Licensed_APT_Protection_-_Market_Quadrant_2022.pdf

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