Advanced Persistent

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Advanced Persistent 

Threat In one of the most notable data breaches in U.S. history, the attack on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). security experts found that state-sponsored attackers used an advanced persistent threat sponsored by the Chinese government. The attack on OPM compromised over 4 million records, including information on current, former and prospective federal government employees, as well as their family members, foreign contacts and even psychological information.

What you need to know: 

An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a highly advanced, covert threat on a computer system or network where an unauthorized user manages to break in, avoid detection and obtain information for business or political motives. Typically carried out by criminals or nation-states, the main objective is financial gain or political espionage. While APTs continue to be associated with nationstate actors who want to steal government or industry secrets, cyber criminals with no particular affiliation also use APTs to steal data or intellectual property.

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