State Cyber Threats Will Multiply Globally

Hans-Georg Maassen, the president of Germany’s domestic spy agency BfV, said yesterday that cyberattacks and disinformation from Russia are expected to rise next year ahead of Germany’s elections. He added that there has been a “striking increase” in cyber operations credited to Russian hacking group ‘Fancy Bear’, also known as APT 28. Advanced persistent threats (APT), a term cyber specialists use to describe government-sponsored offensive actions in cyberspace, have been growing in recent years. APTs will multiply within the next five years, as states have invested in offensive cyber capabilities. The multiplication of threats may force targeted businesses to collaborate with governments even more closely. As APTs experiment with operational concepts and doctrine, new forms of threats may emerge. Mission objectives are likely to shift from espionage to more integrated cyber operations including sabotage and subversion.