Hacker image

Hacking Threats Are Growing More Sophisticated in Developing Countries, Report Finds

Malicious actors and state-sponsored hacking operations are expanding in countries outside of the “Big Four,” a new report finds.

Hackers in countries like Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Qatar are quickly catching up with the sophisticated cyberthreat operations in China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, according to a new report released by The Aspen Institute’s cyber & technology program.

The threat assessment finds that threats from the developing world go beyond the “Big Four” countries often associated with cyber attack operations. Researchers attribute the “democratization and spread of cyber capabilities” to the spread of hacking tools to almost every continent, including Asian, Europe and South America.

Those trends are driven by the different approaches that attackers are taking around the world. In Vietnam, hackers are largely modeling their tactics on the playbooks of successful operations in China, while hacking groups in the Middle East have invested in advanced tools on the open market, according to the report.

The researchers’ case studies profile the expansion of online crime syndicates in Brazil and the operations of “hacker havens” in eastern Europe, including Romania. The geopolitical implications of the increase in sophisticated cyber crime are far-reaching, not only for the U.S. but particularly for other countries in unstable regions like the Middle East.

The assessment details the complicated antagonism between Qatar and nearby countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as both sides of the conflict have engaged in operations targeting the other.

“The willingness of these states to undertake aggressive international hacking and surveillance campaigns could—and arguably has—helped further destabilize the Middle East,” the report found. “The alleged weaponization of purloined data from both countries to alter U.S. foreign policy also undermines American democracy by subjecting it to pernicious covert influence campaigns.”

Threat activity is surging around the globe, particularly in areas experiencing digital booms without regulation or “basic cyber hygiene and education,” the report found. In Vietnam, a mix of state-sponsored hackers and independent actors are targeting their own citizenry, which are ill-prepared for attacks.

“State-sponsored hackers typically target corporate competitors in the region—largely in automobile, manufacturing, and hospitality industries—and have also drastically expanded their attacks on media companies and dissidents in the region,” the report reads.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.