State-sponsored cyber threat actors are the primary threat to democratic institutions and political actors. Authoritarian regimes use their most sophisticated cyber capabilities to attack organizations and individuals who often lack the resources to defend themselves.

Many hacktivists are directly linked to the state but sometimes act independently in the interests of ruling regimes. Their cyberattacks are much less sophisticated than those of APT groups, but they still pose a serious threat in conditions of weak protection.

There are many cyber threats targeting democratic institutions and political actors. It is crucial to prioritize these threats based on the likelihood of attack, urgency, and potential impact for each individual client.

Cyberattacks must be prepared for in advance. Limiting cybersecurity to merely responding to incidents as they occur is insufficient. Organizations and individuals must be ready for potential future cyberattacks and understand how to respond based on the attack vector used by the threat actor.