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An Analysis of Cyber Espionage Process

Abstract:

The recent increasing cases released worldwide on espionage require a knowledge systematization study in this area. This paper presents a general scheme of cyber espionage process based on a literature review of remarkable cases which generated news about this topic and includes the malware report analysis made by security vendors. To understand the aspects involved and the approaches employed, we defined a general model to cover all phases used by cyber espionage. Our model considers two main aspects: first, the technical aspect driven by the rapid advance of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as the software engineering level used by cybercriminals to create sophisticated malware; second, the human aspect influenced by the power struggle between nations and politicians, also considering the lack of technological knowledge or training in organizations. As a result, it allows the attackers using social engineering as the most effective mean for systems intruding.