Which of the following threat actors is the most likely to be motivated by profit?

The correct answer is C. Organized crime. Organized crime is the clear answer because criminal syndicates treat cyberattacks as a business - ransomware, financial fraud, data theft, and extortion are their core revenue streams, making profit their primary and defining motivation. Hacktivists (A) are driven by political…

Submitted by valeria.br· Mar 6, 2026Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations

Question

Options

AHacktivist
BInsider threat
COrganized crime
DShadow IT

How the community answered

(56 responses)

A
2% (1)
B
7% (4)
C
88% (49)
D
4% (2)

Explanation

Organized crime is the clear answer because criminal syndicates treat cyberattacks as a business - ransomware, financial fraud, data theft, and extortion are their core revenue streams, making profit their primary and defining motivation. Hacktivists (A) are driven by political or ideological causes, seeking to make a statement rather than money. Insider threats (B) are typically motivated by grievance, revenge, coercion, or espionage - while some may seek financial gain, they are not defined by profit the way organized crime is. Shadow IT (D) is a red herring entirely - it's not a threat actor at all, but rather a risk category referring to unauthorized software or systems used within an organization.

Memory tip: Map threat actors to real-world analogues - hacktivists are protesters, nation-states are spies, and organized crime are the mob. The mob always wants money.

Topics

#Threat actors#Threat actor motivations#Organized crime#Cybercrime

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