4 ms·

>> so advanced in its design and execution that it could probably have been developed only with the active support of a nation-state Why is advanced technology

• ballsohardy 10y ago
  Not only that, but if I was creating some malware I'd mimic every single one of the TTPs that are supposedly used by all these "Advanced Persistent Threat" groups that are anointed by "threat research" groups. Sprinkle in some Russian/Chinese strings, and an obvious string for how I'd like everyone to refer to me (Sauron in this case) and call it a day.
• WatchDog 10y ago
  That's why they said "probably". You need to look at things like the complexity of the malware, how many staff it would take to develop and maintain it operationally, the targets selected and what sort of payloads are executed. Criminals tend to have simpler malware that used known exploits or a small number of zero days. They generally cast a wide net for their targets and their payloads typically aim to directly raise funds(ransom, mining, card theft, etc). In contrast, nation-states tend to have complex malware with multiple zero days, greater care is taken to avoid detection, their targets are chosen carefully and their payloads focus on gathering information and specialized operations.