Cyberspace threats: not only hackers and criminals. Raising the awareness of selected unusual cyberspace actors - cybersecurity researchers' perspective

Abstract

Despite its development having changed and improved citizens' lives, cyberspace has also become a new arena for competition among states, organizations and individuals, and various cyber threats to people's security are becoming more prevalent, damaging and complex. Although it is rather commonly known that cyberspace is a battlefield, and almost every individual, organization or even state may fall victim to malicious hackers or greedy cybercriminals, the members of the public rarely seem to think of other sources of threat. Thus, in an attempt to raise the general awareness, this paper presents an additional number of selected, often unsuspected actors that shape and influence the cyberspace of today: nation-state actors, cyberterrorists, hacktivists and trolls. The motives of each actor, their modus operandi and the most significant representatives have also been discussed. Being aware of the existence and nature of each actor helps one better understand the threat they pose, as well as grasp the significance of the cybersecurity measures.