Security News > 2023 > December > Think tank report labels NSO, Lazarus, as 'cyber mercenaries'

Cybercrime gangs like the notorious Lazarus group and spyware vendors like Israel's NSO should be considered cyber mercenaries - and become the subject of a concerted international response - according to a Monday report from Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation.

Author Fitri Bintang Timur argued the term mercenary applies because, as amendments to the Geneva Convention put it, mercenaries are "An entity having the motivation to gain financial or material compensation in return for their willingness to fight for the recruiter's country."

The modern equivalent is those who carry out their operations using information technology and networks - hence the term cyber mercenaries.

Timur argued that Lazarus Group earned the dubious title of cyber mercenary by working to develop and distribute malware on behalf of the North Korean government.

The report asserted that the market for cyber mercenaries is growing, as it is useful for state actors to improve their offensive capabilities while maintaining "Plausible deniability through the avoidance of identification."

The report concludes by calling for citizens to demand accountability from governments and businesses who engage cyber mercenaries.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/13/cyber_mercenary_orf_report/