Hybrid actor
Note: A perpetrator or actor does not have causes or consequences, but rather motives and methods. The causes and consequences mentioned here should therefore be interpreted in that sense.
Risks and causes
/
What can you do?
Before
- Find out yourself and inform others about the different forms of hybrid threats, and remain vigilant. This will allow you to recognise any malicious actions and report them to the authorities. You can visit the following websites in this regard:
- State Security (VSSE), for example the brochure (French/Dutch only) "Espionage: are you implicated?"
- The General Intelligence and Security Service (GISS)
- Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA)FPS Foreign Affairs
- Federal police
- Defence
- Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, for example the Safeonweb.be website.
- Do not open emails from unknown or malicious senders.
During
- Protect yourself when travelling abroad. Consult the advice of State Security and the FPS Foreign Affairs.
- Be aware that disinformation is intentionally spread on the Internet.
- Always consult official government channels or recognised media, to make sure the information is reliable.
- Be careful what you share online. Are you not sure who sent a message? Then do not share it.
- Protect your computer and personal data.
- Use strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, and change them regularly.
- Check and manage your privacy settings on social networks and other online platforms
- See our cyber risk pages for more tips.
After
- No specific recommendations.
Impact and probability
The figures relating to probability and impact describe a extreme hybrid actor. The BNRA theoretically describes such a scenario as follows:
- An authoritarian regime opposed to democratic values.
- Clear malicious intentions, strong attack capabilities, and a coherent strategy for conducting hybrid conflicts.
How should you interpret these results?
Within the BNRA, experts assessed three scenarios for each risk: considerable, major or extreme. On each page, you will find the results of the scenario with the highest score based on the combination of likelihood and impact. This does not mean that this scenario will occur or is the most likely. Read more here about how to correctly interpret the results.
Probability
Moderate
Human impact
Weak
Societal impact
Moderate
Environmental impact
Very weak
Financial impact
Moderate
What do the authorities do?
Many hybrid campaigns don't stop at borders. Online disinformation often has an impact on multiple countries, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Cyber attacks can also be cross-border, as can attacks on energy infrastructure, as our networks become increasingly interconnected. We are therefore evolving in a geopolitical and international context that demands cooperation at various levels.
The Belgian government works together with several European Union member states, institutions, NATO and other international initiatives. The EU and NATO has undertaken to ensure close and constructive cooperation:
- Since 2017, the European Centre of Excellence for Combating Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) has been helping participating states and institutions to understand and defend against hybrid threats.
- Since 2018, NATO has had support teams in place which, at the request of allies, provide targeted assistance to improve preparedness and response to hybrid threats.
- The EU also has the capacity to send hybrid rapid response teams to member states and partner countries affected by a hybrid attack - an initiative launched under the Belgian Presidency.
Together, the EU and NATO have various ways of combating hybrid threats, such as imposing targeted sanctions against hybrid actors or patrolling the Baltic Sea.
In Belgium, the intelligence and security services monitor geopolitical risks uch as hybrid threats, each in its own domain. There are also a number of inter-ministerial collaborations aimed at strengthening the resilience of society to these risks and actively combating them.
One example of this collaboration is a platform on hybrid threats, where experts exchange information and work together to study the threat and ensure an effective, coordinated response.