APTs: The Boogeymen of Cybersecurity

Dark Hotel, Crouching Yeti, Machete, Sofacy, Sandworm – what do these words have in common? They are all names given to hacker groups that have been designated by cybersecurity firms as advanced persistent threats (APTs). These groups have been appearing more often, and their ability to breach networks and cause damage has kept up with, and in many cases surpassed, the ability of cybersecurity firms to keep them out. The names given to these groups may be bizarre, but make no mistake, APTs are a significant and growing part of the cyber-threat facing businesses and governments everyday.

APTs have become the boogeymen of the cybersecurity industry, but what are they really? At their core, APTs are groups of hackers who have demonstrated an exceptionally high degree of skill, a singular focus on breaching a specific target, and the capacity to remain undetected within target networks for long periods of time.