Summary: Gate 15, a WaterISAC Champion, provides expertise in cyber and physical threat intelligence and analysis, operations, and preparedness (planning, training, exercise and continuity) support and brings unique experience working with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs). WaterISAC will occasionally share Gate 15 reporting for additional insights into the constantly changing all-hazards threat landscape.
Analyst Note: This new Gate 15 TARGET report titled “Hostile Nation States Employing Non-State Actors” examines how hostile nation states – such as China, Russia, and Iran – employ a variety of non-state actors to achieve their geopolitical objectives, including but not limited to, organized crime elements, cyber criminals, and terrorist groups. Moreover, the international security landscape is becoming increasingly precarious as geopolitical tensions between major world powers rise, increasing the risk to organizations around the world. These dynamics likely increase the risk of sabotage and targeted attacks against virtually all critical infrastructure sectors and other soft targets.
The original version of this report was written before the latest escalation between Israel and Iran in June 2025 and before the U.S. strike on Iran. However, given the conflict and fragility of any ceasefire, there is continued uncertainty surrounding the cessation of hostilities. Should Iran feel pressed, it could resort to asymmetrical means, such as using non-state actors in targeted attacks, to retaliate against the U.S. and other Western countries. This option allows them to maintain plausible deniability, while still undermining Western societal resilience, and at the same time, reduces the risk of inviting further military action against the Iranian regime. WaterISAC encourages members to review the report and consider the mitigation recommendations in the Resilience and Recommended Resources section.
Original Source: https://gate15.global/non-state-actors/
Additional Reading:
- The Role of Non-State Actors as Proxies in Irregular Warfare and Malign State Influence
- Russia’s Links to Neo-Nazi Terrorist Groups Demonstrates its Hybrid Warfare Toolkit
- Threading a Precarious Geopolitical Posture, Iran Seeks to Wreak Havoc in Europe
Related WaterISAC PIRs: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
