What Do Threat Actors Want? 6 Common Hacker Goals

threats Aug 28, 2025
Blue circuitry background with words β€œWhat Do Threat Actors Want?” in the foreground.

 

 

What Do Threat Actors Want?

 

 

We discussed the different types of threat actors, but let's dive deeper into their goals. These goals range from curiosity to disrupting critical services—and understanding them can help you better protect your systems.

 

6 Common Threat Actor Goals

  1. Data exfiltration
  2. Disrupting business operations 
  3. Financial gain
  4. Espionage or surveillance
  5. Sabotage
  6. Reputation damage

  

Knowing their objectives gives you a better chance of detecting and defending against cyber threats before they cause harm.

  

Want to learn more about hackers? Read The Three Types of Hackers.

 

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