Shifting Targets of Cyberattacks from Governments to Big Tech
- In recent months, bad actors seem to be modifying their modus operandi. State-sponsored cyber attackers were expected to target governments primarily, particularly owing to growing global tensions; cyberattacks have increasingly shifted their focus toward big tech companies.
- This shift highlights changes in the global geopolitical landscape and emphasizes the vital role of technology in modern society. Understanding the change and its implications is critical to devising and implementing effective strategies to minimize cyber threats.
The evolving threat landscape
Historically, cyber warfare has largely targeted government assets, with threat actors sabotaging sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and strategic assets. Cyber espionage and sabotage have often been conducted by state-sponsored actors whose objectives were primarily aligned with military, political, or economic gains. The Stuxnet worm, which is believed to be developed jointly by the United States and Israel, targeting Iran’s nuclear program, is one such example.
However, as technology has become increasingly intertwined with all aspects of modern life, the landscape of cyber threats has also experienced an evolution. Tech companies possess massive repositories of valuable information, including financial records, personal information, trade secrets and other intellectual property.
These businesses have become critical to the global economy and have a substantial influence on multiple areas of specialization. This makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking geopolitical advantage, pushing ideological motives, or financial gain.
See More: 5 Serious Repercussions of Targeted Cyberattacks on Business Leaders
Factors that make tech companies a target
One of the key reasons behind the shift in targets is the value of the data held by big tech companies. With the rapid spread of cloud computing and digital services, companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have collected massive volumes of data ranging from behavioral patterns and user preferences to proprietary algorithms and sensitive corporate data that have become a very lucrative target for cybercriminals.
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