What term describes an individual or group that carries out attacks?

• A. A path used to gain unauthorized access to a system.
• B. A cryptographic key used to encrypt data.
• C. Threat Actor is an individual or group that carries out attacks.
• D. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

Answer: (C)

Threat actor describes an individual or group that carries out attacks. In security, a threat actor can be a lone hacker, a criminal organization, or a nation-state, and their activities include exploiting vulnerabilities, deploying malware, or carrying out intrusion campaigns to achieve motives like financial gain, espionage, or disruption. Recognizing who the threat actor is helps security teams anticipate tactics and tailor defenses accordingly. The other terms refer to something else: a path used to gain unauthorized access is an attack vector or entry point; a cryptographic key is used to encrypt data; and confidentiality, integrity, and availability describe the triad of security objectives, not a person or group.