Which statement best describes the overall cyber threat to the United States?

• A. Increasing threats from both state and non-state actors targeting networks, systems, and data.
• B. Threats are decreasing due to improved defenses.
• C. Only state actors pose threats.
• D. Only non-state actors pose threats.

Answer: (D)

The overall cyber threat to the United States is best understood as increasing and driven by both state and non-state actors who target networks, systems, and data. State-sponsored groups pursue espionage, strategic advantage, and potential disruption, while non-state actors—such as cybercriminals, ransomware networks, and hacktivists—seek financial gain, property theft, or political impact. This combination means critical infrastructure, government, and private sector assets face a broad and evolving set of attacks, not confined to a single attacker type. Improved defenses matter, but attackers continually adapt, discover new vulnerabilities, and scale operations as the attack surface grows with cloud services, IoT, and remote work. Therefore, the most accurate view is that threats are increasing from both categories of actors, rather than decreasing or arising from only one group.