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Ransomware gangs, email scammers, state-sponsored spies: hacking groups come in all shapes and sizes. There are some we write about quite a bit here at WIRED, who through some combination of audacity, incompetence, or geopolitical importance—or some combination of all three—grab the spotlight in the wake of a major heist or intrusion. Then there are the groups that largely manage to stay in the shadows.
A North Korean group that specializes in crypto thefts. Industrial sabotage specialists out of Iran. Scammers from China that have probably sent you a phony text or two. Ransomware extremists that just went underground. And spies. So many spies. These stories shine a spotlight on the hacking groups you don’t hear about as often—because they’re often the ones you need to worry about the most.