While M&As can help companies create strategic value, cybercriminals and nation-state threat actors view these market-moving activities as attractive targets due to the substantial capital typically involved. Hackers engaged in corporate espionage can target confidential, carefully deliberated positions to weaken the competitor’s hand in negotiation. The M&A transaction itself can also be targeted by threat actors looking to profit from trading secret M&A data on the dark web, or by exploiting financial markets.
