cyber trends distinct supply chain attacks which could be associated with nation state actors .
• Over 40 % of incidents analysed involved a cyberattack upon assets that had a physical , as well as a digital , component – for example , an attack on an energy plant – a phenomenon labelled as ‘ hybridisation ’.
• Tactics used by nation states to acquire COVID-19-related IP data appear to have been road-tested by cybercriminals , which is characteristic of the way nation states have become beneficiaries of and contributors to the Web of Profit that constitutes the cybercrime economy .
• There is evidence that nation states are ‘ stock-piling ’ Zero Day vulnerabilities , while 10 – 15 % of dark net vendor sales go to ‘ atypical ’ purchasers , or those acting on behalf of other clients , such as nation state actors .
“ When we look at nation state activity through the lens of this report , it comes as no surprise that we have seen such an escalation over the past year ; the writing has been on the wall for some time ,” said Dr Mike McGuire , Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Surrey . “ Nation states are devoting significant time and resources to achieving strategic cyber advantage to advance their national interests , intelligence gathering capabilities and military strength through espionage , disruption and theft . Attempts to obtain IP data on vaccines and cyberattacks against software supply chains www . intelligentciso . com
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