Cybercrime is no longer just a financial or technological issue—it is a growing national security threat. A new report from Google Threat Intelligence Group underscores the urgent need for policymakers to treat cybercrime with the same seriousness as state-sponsored cyber operations.

The report highlights how major nation-states—including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—are increasingly co-opting cybercriminal groups to advance their geopolitical and economic agendas. In 2024, Mandiant Consulting saw nearly four times more cyber intrusions by financially motivated actors than by state-backed groups, indicating that cybercriminals are now a key tool in global cyber conflicts.

Among the key findings:

• Russia is leveraging cybercriminal networks for espionage and disruption in Ukraine.
• China has blurred the lines between state-sponsored hacking and cybercrime, using financially motivated groups like APT41 for both intelligence gathering and ransomware attacks.
• Iran has turned to ransomware and hack-and-leak campaigns, potentially to compensate for economic struggles.
• North Korea is using cryptocurrency heists to evade sanctions and fund its missile and nuclear programs.

Beyond economic damage, the societal costs of cybercrime are severe. Attacks on hospitals, power grids, and essential infrastructure disrupt lives, erode public trust, and, in some cases, prove fatal.

The report stresses that cybercrime is no longer a separate issue from national security threats—it is part of the same fight. Addressing this growing challenge requires international cooperation, stronger policy responses, and a recognition that cybercriminal operations are a major geopolitical weapon.

“Cybercrime has unquestionably become a critical national security threat to countries around the world. The marketplace at the centre of the cybercrime ecosystem has made every actor easily replaceable and the whole problem resilient to disruption. Unfortunately, many of our actions have amounted to temporary inconveniences for these criminals, but we can’t treat this like a nuisance and we will have to work harder to make meaningful impacts,” said Sandra Joyce, VP, Google Threat Intelligence.

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