Aggressive nation-states are increasingly leveraging cyberattacks to advance foreign policy objectives. Iran sponsored Pay2Key Ransomware-as-a-Service is offering an increase in profit sharing to affiliates who target enemies of Iran – such as the United States and Israel.

This aligns with my 2025 Cybersecurity Predictions and we should expect Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea to increase efforts to employ cyberattack capabilities to push foreign policy agendas and circumvent sanctions.