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Threat Actor Most Wanted

Curated list of the most significant threat actors and cybercriminal groups currently active — prioritized by risk and global impact.

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12 actors listed

LockBit

CRITICAL
RansomwareCybercrime

Prolific Ransomware-as-a-Service operation responsible for thousands of attacks worldwide. Known for advanced encryption, data exfiltration, and a dedicated leak site.

Aliases: LockBit 2.0, LockBit 3.0, LockBit Black

Origin: Russia

Tools: LockBit encryptor, StealBit, LockBit Negotiator

APT29 (Cozy Bear)

CRITICAL
APTCyber Espionage

Russian state-sponsored threat group attributed to the SVR. Known for supply chain attacks, diplomatic targets, and long-term espionage campaigns.

Aliases: Cozy Bear, The Dukes, NOBELIUM

Origin: Russia

Tools: SolarWinds backdoor, Beacon, PowerShell implants

BlackCat (ALPHV)

CRITICAL
RansomwareCybercrime

Rust-based RaaS group known for sophisticated attacks, data extortion, and targeting critical infrastructure across multiple sectors.

Aliases: ALPHV, Noberus

Origin: Russia

Tools: BlackCat encryptor, Tor leak site, Exfiltration tools

Lazarus Group

CRITICAL
APTCyber EspionageFinancial Crime

North Korean state-sponsored threat group responsible for destructive attacks, cryptocurrency thefts, and the Sony Pictures breach.

Aliases: Hidden Cobra, ZINC, APT38

Origin: North Korea

Tools: Destructive wipers, RATs, Cryptocurrency traders

Black Basta

HIGH
RansomwareCybercrime

Ransomware group first observed in 2022. Uses double-extortion tactics and has targeted enterprises across North America and Europe.

Origin: Russia

Tools: Black Basta encryptor, QakBot, Cobalt Strike

Scattered Spider

HIGH
CybercrimeSocial Engineering

Highly social engineering-focused criminal group targeting SaaS platforms and cloud environments. Known for SIM-swapping and MFA bypass.

Aliases: UNC3944, Muddled Libra

Origin: US/UK

Tools: Social engineering toolkit, RATs, Cloud exploitation

APT41 (Winnti)

HIGH
APTCyber EspionageFinancial Crime

Chinese state-sponsored group with dual motivations of espionage and financial gain. Targets gaming, tech, and healthcare sectors.

Aliases: Winnti, BARIUM, ShadowPad

Origin: China

Tools: Winnti backdoor, ShadowPad, PlugX

Clop

HIGH
RansomwareCybercrime

Ransomware group notorious for exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in file transfer software (Accellion, GoAnywhere, MOVEit).

Aliases: TA505, FIN11

Origin: Russia

Tools: Clop encryptor, MOVEit exploit, GoAnywhere exploit

APT33 (Elfin)

MEDIUM
APTCyber Espionage

Iranian state-sponsored threat group targeting aerospace, energy, and petrochemical sectors with destructive wiper attacks.

Aliases: Elfin, Refined Kitten, Magnallium

Origin: Iran

Tools: Shamoon wiper, DDoS tools, RATs

Kimsesky

MEDIUM
APTCyber Espionage

North Korean threat group focused on intelligence gathering against South Korean government, think tanks, and academia.

Aliases: Black Banshee, Thallium, Velvet Chollima

Origin: North Korea

Tools: BabyShark, Kimusky RAT, AppleSeed

Killnet

MEDIUM
HacktivismDDoS

Pro-Russian hacktivist group known for large-scale DDoS attacks against governments and critical infrastructure in NATO countries.

Aliases: Killnet, From Russia with Love

Origin: Russia

Tools: DDoS tools, Web defacement, Leak sites

SiegedSec

MEDIUM
HacktivismData Leaks

Hacktivist group known for targeting pro-LGBTQ+ causes and government entities with data breaches and leaks.

Aliases: SiegedSec

Origin: International

Tools: Telegram leak channels, Social engineering