Advanced Persistent Threats, or APTs, are a form of cyberattack in which an unauthorized user gains access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period. Think of an APT as a burglar — but not one who just breaks into your house, steals what they can, and leaves. Instead, they find a way to get a copy of your key, learn your daily routine, and keep coming back without you noticing.
While conventional cyberattacks are often brief and destructive, APTs are more sophisticated, unfolding over months or even years. They're usually carried out by highly skilled teams — such as nation-states or organized crime groups — who have the patience, resources, and expertise to play the long game.
APTs are among the most challenging threats to detect and mitigate. Unlike typical attacks that cause immediate, visible damage, APTs operate in the shadows. They slowly but systematically compromise an organization's defenses, making them particularly dangerous.
When APTs successfully infiltrate an organization, they can cause severe damage:
APTs don't just happen — they unfold methodically:
A global manufacturer discovered something was wrong when competitors began producing eerily similar products. Investigation revealed that APT actors had silently stolen their designs through a clever spear-phishing campaign targeting their senior engineering team. The attackers maintained access for over nine months, exfiltrating CAD files, manufacturing specifications, and proprietary technology documentation. The breach led to an estimated $450 million in lost revenue and market share.
For 12 months, state-sponsored attackers silently gathered classified data from a government agency using a zero-day exploit in their email security system. The attackers moved laterally through the network, eventually compromising classified databases containing details about intelligence operations and agent identities. The breach led to a complete overhaul of the agency's security infrastructure and compromised several ongoing national security operations.
After months of careful reconnaissance, attackers gained deep access to a bank's transfer systems by compromising a third-party vendor's credentials. The APT group spent weeks studying the bank's standard operating procedures and timing their attacks during peak processing periods to avoid detection. By the time anyone noticed, more than $100 million had vanished into a network of offshore accounts. The bank's reputation suffered severe damage, leading to a 30% drop in commercial banking clients.
Patient records became a goldmine for attackers who used sophisticated techniques to steal millions of healthcare records. The APT group first gained access through an unpatched vulnerability in the hospital's medical imaging system. They then spent months mapping the network and extracting sensitive patient data, including medical histories, social security numbers, and payment information. The breach resulted in $4.5 million in HIPAA fines and an estimated $50 million in breach remediation costs.
An APT operation planted dormant malware in power grid control systems through a compromised software update mechanism. The attackers gained access to critical infrastructure systems controlling power distribution across three states. Though stopped before causing blackouts, the malware could have disrupted power to over 12 million customers and caused cascading failures across interconnected systems. This incident led to new federal guidelines for critical infrastructure security.
Protecting against APTs isn't about deploying a single solution — it requires a comprehensive approach:
Anomali provides a sophisticated defense system against these persistent threats. Its groundbreaking Security and IT Operations Platform combines a generative AI Copilot, the ThreatStream TIP, Security Analytics, and automation to help you stay ahead of attackers:
Ready to build a stronger defense against APTs? Request a demo to see how Anomali can protect your organization.