Non-state actors significantly affect cybersecurity by influencing the digital landscape through a variety of roles, including cyberattacks, influencing public opinion, and disrupting national or corporate systems. These actors operate outside the direct control of governments and include groups such as hackers, organized crime syndicates, hacktivists, and terrorist organizations. Here’s how they impact cybersecurity:

1. Conducting Cyberattacks

• Hackers and Cybercriminals:

• Ransomware Attacks: Groups like REvil or Conti have targeted companies, hospitals, and governments, demanding ransom payments to unlock encrypted data.

• Data Breaches: Cybercriminals steal sensitive information (e.g., credit card details, personal data) for financial gain.

• Case Example: The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack by the non-state group DarkSide disrupted fuel supplies in the U.S.

• Nation-State Proxies:

• Governments often covertly employ or tolerate non-state hackers to carry out espionage or sabotage while maintaining plausible deniability.

• Example: APT28 (Fancy Bear), allegedly linked to Russian interests, is technically a non-state actor conducting state-aligned cyber operations.