Dictionary · Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Threat Actor
Risk · Intermediate
A person, group, or automated activity that may cause an unwanted security event. Motivation can range from money and espionage to accident and curiosity.
This term names who or what is acting, not the weakness they might use. Knowing the actor helps you judge likely targets and methods without assuming every incident is a spy novel.
Example: A criminal group sending invoice fraud and an employee misconfiguring a bucket are different threat actors with different controls.
Common misconception
- Not every actor is a sophisticated outsider. Insiders and accidents belong in the same vocabulary.