Discover which cyber threat actor is most driven by financial gain. Learn why organized crime groups pose the greatest profit-motivated cybersecurity risk compared to hacktivists, insider threats, and shadow IT.
Table of Contents
Question
Which of the following threat actors is the most likely to be motivated by profit?
A. Hacktivist
B. Insider threat
C. Organized crime
D. Shadow IT
Answer
C. Organized crime
Explanation
Organized crime groups are the threat actors with the strongest profit motive. Their primary goal is to generate illicit revenue through various cybercriminal activities such as stealing financial data, running ransomware campaigns, engaging in fraud schemes, or selling stolen information on the black market.
In contrast:
- Hacktivists are usually motivated by political or ideological goals rather than direct financial gain.
- Insider threats can have various motives like revenge, espionage, or negligence, and profit is not always the driving factor.
- Shadow IT refers to unapproved technology usage within an organization, which stems from employees seeking convenient tools to do their jobs, not a profit motive.
Organized criminal enterprises have the resources, skills and networks needed to monetize cybercrime at scale. Attacking targets for financial gain is their core purpose, making them the threat actor category most consistently profit-driven compared to other groups that may have mixed motivations.
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