14 CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY BELGIUM 2.0 – 2021-2025 involved actors of the main risk clusters (of which cyber is a part). It aims to better identify the underlying causes and effects in order to provide a clear overview to decision-makers when dealing with the risk. Finally, events that involve an increased cyber risk (international summit, elections, etc.) regularly take place on Belgian soil. These types of events may require an exceptional risk assessment to identify heightened risks and recommend appropriate actions. 2.1 Threat actors Because the motivations and capabilities of threat actors are constantly changing, it is critical to understand and monitor who the most significant threat actors are. This also allows us to understand how the cyber landscape is evolving. Belgium considers the following actors to be the biggest threat to the Belgian state and population: cybercriminals, foreign military and intelligence services, terrorist groups and hacktivists. Threats Foreign military and intelligence services Terrorism Countries have plenty of physical weapons, an offensive cyber arsenal and intelligence with which to inflict economic damage on other states, with a view to political instability and weakening their defences. Cyber terrorists use the internet to commit acts of violence for the purpose of gaining a political advantage and instilling fear in the population. Threats Description of the major threats and their intentions and capabilities Hacktivism Hacktivism is performing intentional cyber activities with the intention of promoting a political agenda, religious belief or social ideology. Cybercrime The goal of cyber criminals is to misuse computers, the internet or networks for financial gain. 2.1.1 Cybercrime The (potential) impact of cyber threats emanating from cybercriminals has become increasingly clear in recent years. These include not only threats that could disrupt our infrastructure, but also threats to the integrity, availability