What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) and what distinguishes it from common cyberattacks?

Question

Cybersecurity Fundamentals — Hard

What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) and what distinguishes it from common cyberattacks?

Accepted Answer

An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated, prolonged attack by a well-resourced adversary that maintains stealthy, persistent access to a target network for strategic objectives like espionage or data exfiltration. This distinguishes it from common cyberattacks due to its advanced nature and long-term, strategic focus.