CHINA
China has persisted in carrying out extensive cyberattacks, including the theft of intellectual property. In China, where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) even has military groups that are trained in network assault and protection, more than a third of all cyberattacks are carried out.
According to a 2017 estimate from Foreign Policy magazine, China’s “hacker army” may number more than 100,000 individuals, which would be larger than the military forces of several other countries. Venafi analysis indicates that APT organizations like APT41 conduct cyber espionage to promote China’s long-term political, military, and economic objectives, frequently focusing on carefully chosen targets.
There are numerous state-sponsored organizations in China, and we frequently observe signs of the country’s ability to launch cyberattacks.
NORTH KOREA
THE SMALL NATION WITH A STRONG HACKER FORCE IS NORTH KOREA.
The Hermit Kingdom’s cyber spies are suspected of stealing almost $600 million from a bitcoin gaming firm in March of this year, making 2021 a banner year for North Korean hackers who reportedly stole $400 million in cryptocurrency. 2022 will undoubtedly be even better.
North Korea now aims to enhance its efforts as hacking becomes more crucial to its national security.
According to reports, North Korea starts teaching and administering aptitude exams to children as early as 11 years old, according to Tim Morris, a technology strategist with the cybersecurity company Tanium.
Morris told ClearanceJobs that after that, “those capabilities are exploited for ransomware and/or cryptocurrency theft to support other programs for the government or military.”
Another noteworthy aspect of North Korea is that it is currently the only country in the world whose government is acknowledged to engage in such blatant illegal hacking for financial gain.
Lazarus and APT38, two notorious North Korean cybercrime organizations, are well-known for having ties to the government. In addition to attacks on Sony, the Bangladesh Bank cyber robbery, WannaCry, and most recently US energy corporations, Lazarus is exceptionally productive and has established a name for itself. Our research demonstrates that state-employed North Korean hackers assist in evading the international sanctions imposed on the DPRK, with the proceeds of cybercrime going straight towards the country’s nuclear weapons program.
RUSSIA
Even while the formidable Russian bear appears to be more of a paper tiger on the battlefield, one shouldn’t undervalue its cyber capabilities. Compared to the United States, Moscow has placed a greater emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) talents, and it has paid off.
“Russia has half of our population and churns out six times the number of engineering graduates, many of whom use their skills for state-sponsored cyber attacks on America,” Gunn explained to ClearanceJobs. “If some of the battles of the future will be fought online, we could end up woefully outmanned and the gap is growing every year.”
Even though it is experiencing failures in its alleged “Special Military Operation” against Ukraine, this places Russia among the biggest cyber threats.
“Russia will increase its use of cyber warfare to gain a better foothold in Ukraine,” said Henry Collier, program director for Norwich University’s online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program. “Russia has previously used cyber attacks against its adversaries, to include Ukraine, with some degree of success.”
IRAN
The Iranian Cyber Army is an Iranian computer hacker group. It is thought to be connected to Iranian government, although it is not officially recognized as an entity by the government.[1] It has pledged loyalty to Supreme Leader of Iran.[2]
According to Tehran Bureau, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard initiated plans for the formation of an Iranian Cyber Army in 2005. The organisation is believed to have been commanded by Mohammad Hussein Tajik until his assassination.[3][4]
The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks conducted over the Internet since 2009, most notably attacks against Baidu and Twitter.[5] The attack against Baidu resulted in the so-called Sino-Iranian Hacker War. In 2012, a group self-identified as “Parastoo” (Persian: پرستو – Swallow) hacked the International Atomic Energy Agency‘s servers: the Iranian Cyber Army is suspected of being behind the attack.[6]
In 2013, a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards stated that Iran had “the 4th biggest cyber power among the world’s cyber armies”, a claim supported by the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies.[7]