Advanced Persistent Threats – What are they and do they really exist?

The use of the term Advanced Persistent Threat has been on the rise lately, as more evidence is shared that not only proves they exist, but they are actively attacking targets.

Advanced Persistent Threats are being utilised by organised criminals and are often developed/sponsored by nation states for a variety of different reasons. Some nation states encourage hacking activities on an individual and group level, often paying hackers a salary to: steal intellectual property, gather personal data or more simply, reward hackers for successful fraudulent activities designed to re-appropriate wealth.[2]