A network engineer discovers that a foreign government hacked one of the defense contractors in their home country and stole intellectual property. What is the threat agent in this situation?
A.
the intellectual property that was stolen
B.
the defense contractor who stored the intellectual property
C.
the method used to conduct the attack
D.
the foreign government that conducted the attack
I think is C. the method used to conduct the attack
The entity that takes advantage of the
vulnerability is known as the malicious actor, and the path used by
this actor to perform the attack is known as the threat agent or threat
vector.
Source: Official cert Guide Cisco CyberOps Associate CBROPS 200-201
Chapter1: Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Author: Omar Santos
This is the correct answer according to the book - page 10. Threat agent refers to the method, threat actor refers to the attacker. Agent and Actor are not synonyms here - the answer is C.
Threat agent and Threat actor are the same (see https://itlaw.wikia.org/wiki/Threat_agent)
And the threat actor is the organization/person performing the attack. (https://orangematter.solarwinds.com/2018/07/18/cybersecurity-fundamentals-threat-and-attack-terminology/)
So D is the correct answer
A threat agent is an active entity motivated to attack our mobile devices and activities. We may identify threat agents as specific organizations or individuals, like Anonymous, or we may classify them by goals or methods of operation (MOs). For example, shoplifters are a class of threat agent that attacks retail stores.
https://cryptosmith.com/2016/01/31/threat-agents-and-levels-of-motivation/#:~:text=A%20threat%20agent%20is%20an%20active%20entity%20motivated,class%20of%20threat%20agent%20that%20attacks%20retail%20stores.
The correct answer is:
D. the foreign government that conducted the attack
Explanation:
A threat agent is an entity responsible for carrying out an attack or exploiting vulnerabilities. In this scenario, the foreign government is the actor responsible for orchestrating the attack and stealing the intellectual property.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
• A. the intellectual property that was stolen: This is the target or asset, not the threat agent.
• B. the defense contractor who stored the intellectual property: This is the victim or entity impacted by the attack, not the agent causing it.
• C. the method used to conduct the attack: This refers to the attack vector or technique, not the entity executing the attack.
The threat agent is always the actor or group initiating the malicious activity—in this case, the foreign government.
According to the book: "The entity that takes advantage of the vulnerability is known as the malicious actor, and the path used by this actor to perform the attack is known as the threat agent or threat vector."
The correct answer is D, the question didn't specify how the attack was accomplished and it asked what is the threat agent " in this situation"?. So D definitely is the correct answer in this context.
In this context, the threat agent is the entity responsible for carrying out the attack. A threat agent is the actor or group that intentionally causes harm or poses a risk.
The answer is D
In cybersecurity, a threat agent is any entity that can exploit vulnerabilities or conduct other damaging activities to a system or organization. This can include individuals, groups, organizations, or even nation-states. Threat agents can be motivated by various factors, such as financial gain, political ideology, or personal vendettas.
https://bard.google.com/chat/283439dd3b271707
In summary:
A threat is a negative event that can lead to an undesired outcome.
A threat actor is the entity (individual or group) that performs the attack.
A threat agent is the means by which a threat actor carries out an attack.
Selected Answer: D
What is a threat agent in cyber security?
An individual or group that acts, or has the power to, exploit a vulnerability or conduct other damaging activities.
The method used to conduct the attack is also not the threat agent, as it is simply a tool used by the threat agent to achieve their goal.
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