Nation-State Hackers Embed Stealthily in US infrastructure

FBI's Brett Leatherman Urges Private-Sector Collaboration to Detect Stealthy Threats Tom Field (SecurityEditor) • May 3, 2025

Nation-state cyber campaigns are becoming stealthier and more persistent, with adversaries targeting U.S. critical infrastructure for long-term access. These sophisticated intrusions are no longer limited to data theft - they now pose risks to public safety and military operations.

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Brett Leatherman, deputy assistant director of cyber operations at the FBI, said nation-state actors use obfuscation and proxy networks to maintain hidden access over extended periods. The FBI's mission is to detect these intrusions early and collaborate with private-sector organizations to limit their intrusion.

"There's really two ways we're focused on working with the private sector," Leatherman said. "Number one is threat intelligence companies who have unique visibility into what the actors are doing … and can provide information that allow us to leverage ...