Google has issued a stern warning about the growing threat of cybercrime to national security, stating that financially motivated cyber attacks can be just as harmful as state-sponsored hacking.

Cybercrime, once viewed as a minor concern compared to state-backed threats, is now being recognized as a significant menace to national security. According to a recent report from the Google Threat Intelligence Group, cybercrime can have severe consequences on individuals and disrupt critical goods and services, making it essential to treat cybercrime as a national security priority.

The vast majority of malicious online activity is due to cybercrime, yet many national security practitioners focus on state-affiliated hacking groups. However, Google argues that this narrow focus can be misleading. "A hospital disrupted by a state-backed group using a wiper and a hospital disrupted by a financially motivated group using ransomware have the same impact on patient care," says the report.

This warning is reinforced by recent attacks on healthcare providers, where millions of patient records were stolen, and even blood donor supplies were disrupted. The increase in data leak sites, particularly those related to healthcare, has doubled over the past three years. Google warns that this trend suggests a growing threat to national security.

The Google report highlights how state-backed groups are using cybercrime capabilities to conduct espionage and disruptive operations. Russia's Sandworm unit, known as APT44, employs malware from cybercrime communities to carry out these activities. Iranian threat groups also use ransomware to raise funds and conduct espionage, while Chinese spy groups supplement their income with cybercrime.

North Korea is another example of a state that uses cybercrime to directly generate revenue for the regime. The country has heavily targeted cryptocurrencies, compromising exchanges and individual victims' crypto wallets.

The report emphasizes that states are purchasing cyber capabilities through cybercrime, co-opting criminals to conduct state-directed operations to steal data. This collaboration across borders highlights the need for international cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track, arrest, and prosecute these criminals.

"Cybercrime involves collaboration between disparate groups often across borders and without respect to sovereignty," Google said. "Only by recognizing the cybercrime threat as also being a national security one can the root causes be tackled."

In conclusion, Google's warning about the growing threat of cybercrime to national security is clear. The report highlights the severity of the issue and the need for international cooperation to tackle it. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on digital technologies, it is essential that we take cybercrime seriously and address it as a national security priority.

The stakes are high, and the consequences of inaction could be severe. It is time for governments and law enforcement agencies to recognize the threat posed by cybercrime and work together to combat it.

For more information on this topic, please refer to the Google Threat Intelligence Group report.