APT Group

An APT group, or Advanced Persistent Threat, is a group of cyber attackers focusing on advanced persistent threats. These are usually cybercriminals from state organizations or organizations that work on behalf of states. They focus on targeted and sophisticated cyber operations to penetrate the systems of high-ranking targets (government organizations, corporations) and remain in them undetected for extended periods. They do so mostly for long-term cyber espionage and theft of sensitive data. APT groups have a wide range of knowledge, advanced tools and techniques that allow them to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities.

How can you get more information about the activity of APT groups?

ESET provides up-to-date information on the activity of APT groups in the ESET APT Activity Report. For organizations focused on protecting citizens with critical infrastructure or highly valuable assets, we regularly prepare a more detailed report with technical information—ESET APT Report PREMIUM—as part of the ESET Threat Intelligence services offered.

How do APT groups attack, and how to defend against them?

APT groups attack using sophisticated methods, including exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities, social engineering, phishing, supply chain attacks, and targeted malware. These groups often target specific organizations or industries and use advanced techniques to penetrate their networks and systems.

To protect against APT attacks, it is crucial to implement security measures such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, regular security software updates, network monitoring and anomaly detection, timely responses to suspicious activity, and regular employee training on cyber threats and the proper handling of sensitive information. It is also important to cooperate with cybersecurity experts and use modern security tools and technologies to identify and eliminate threats from APT groups.