State-sponsored espionage will power the “third wave” of hacking and security threats, according to a report from security firm Sophos. The company's mid-year Security Threat Report found that security experts were remarkably matter-of-fact about the likelihood of state-sponsored web-based espionage and sabotage, with 7% of respondents believing it was acceptable for governments to launch crippling denial of service attacks against another country's communication or financial websites during peace time. “The first round of computer hacking and cyber crime was driven by hobbyists, then, where we are now, is the hacking for financial gain,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “But there's a third wave of attacks that appear to be written with the express purpose of breaking into specific government departments or key companies within foreign governments."

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