Microsoft and CrowdStrike Unite to End the Cyber Threat Actor Naming Crisis

“What’s in a name? That which we call a hacking group by any other name would be as dangerous.” While Shakespeare’s Juliet may have dismissed the importance of names, cybersecurity professionals know better. In the world of cyber threats, names matter tremendously when seconds can determine the difference between successful defense and devastating breach.

In a landmark collaboration that promises to revolutionize cybersecurity intelligence sharing, Microsoft and CrowdStrike announced their joint initiative to align threat actor naming conventions across the cybersecurity industry. This groundbreaking partnership addresses one of the most frustrating challenges facing security professionals today: the confusion created by multiple names for the same threat actors.

 The Problem That Plagued the Industry

For years, cybersecurity vendors have operated in silos, each developing their own unique naming systems for tracking threat actors. The result has been a chaotic environment where a single hacking group might be known by dozens of different names across various platforms.

Consider the infamous Russian state-sponsored group that Microsoft calls “Midnight Blizzard.” This same actor is simultaneously known as APT29, Cozy Bear, BlueBravo, Cloaked Ursa, Iron Hemlock, UNC2452, and The Dukes, depending on which security vendor is discussing them. Similarly, what Microsoft tracks as “Forest Blizzard” goes by equally diverse aliases including Fancy Bear, Fighting Ursa, Pawn Storm, Sednit, Sofacy, and TA422.

This naming fragmentation has created serious operational challenges. Security teams waste precious time cross-referencing threat intelligence reports instead of focusing on actual defense measures. In an environment where seconds can determine whether a cyberattack succeeds or fails, these delays can have catastrophic consequences. As outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) guidance on threat sharing (SP 800-1501), aligning how we describe and categorize cyberthreats can improve understanding, coordination, and overall security posture.

 A Strategic Solution Emerges

The Microsoft-CrowdStrike collaboration represents more than just a naming exercise—it’s a fundamental shift toward unified threat intelligence. By mapping where their knowledge of these actors align, they will provide security professionals with the ability to connect insights faster and make decisions with greater confidence.

The partnership has produced what the companies call a “Rosetta Stone” for cyber threat intelligence. This comprehensive mapping system links adversary identifiers across vendor ecosystems without forcing adoption of a single naming standard. Instead, it provides critical translation capabilities that preserve each company’s analytical methodologies while enabling faster, more confident threat response.

The collaboration has already demonstrated impressive results. Through direct analyst cooperation, the companies have successfully deconflicted more than 80 threat actors. For example, they’ve validated that Microsoft’s “Volt Typhoon” and CrowdStrike’s “VANGUARD PANDA” refer to the same Chinese state-sponsored group, while “Secret Blizzard” and “VENOMOUS BEAR” designate the same Russia-linked adversary.

(Threat Actor Categories – Source: Microsoft)

 The Five-Category Framework

Microsoft categorizes threat actors into five key groups:

1. Nation-state actors: cyber operators acting on behalf of or directed by a nation/state-aligned program, irrespective of whether for espionage, financial gain, or retribution
2. Financially motivated actors: cyber campaigns/groups directed by a criminal organization/person with motivations of financial gain
3. Private sector offensive actors (PSOAs): cyber activity led by commercial actors that are known/legitimate legal entities, that create and sell cyberweapons to customers
4. Influence operations: information campaigns communicated online or offline in a manipulative fashion to shift perceptions, behaviors, or decisions by target audiences
5. Groups in development: a temporary designation given to an unknown, emerging, or developing threat activity.

Within this framework, Microsoft’s weather-themed nomenclature assigns specific meteorological terms to different geographic origins and motivations. Chinese threat actors receive “Typhoon” designations, Iranian groups are called “Sandstorm,” Russian actors get “Blizzard” names, and North Korean groups are labeled “Sleet.” Financially motivated actors across all nationalities receive “Tempest” designations, while influence operations are called “Flood.”

 Industry-Wide Expansion

The initiative extends far beyond its initial two-company scope. Google’s Mandiant division and Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 have committed to contributing to the effort, with plans to invite additional cybersecurity firms to join the collaborative mapping resource. This expansion promises to create an industry-wide standard that could fundamentally transform how threat intelligence is shared and consumed.

The companies emphasize that this effort doesn’t aim to create a universal naming standard but rather to provide translation capabilities that enable faster, more confident decision-making in threat response. This approach respects the analytical independence of each vendor while providing the coordination benefits that the industry desperately needs.

 The Broader Impact

The timing of this collaboration couldn’t be more critical. Microsoft now tracks over 1,500 threat actors compared to 300 last year, highlighting the exponential growth in cyber threats facing organizations worldwide. Microsoft processes 84 trillion threat signals daily, generating massive amounts of intelligence that must be effectively shared and acted upon.

Former CISA director Jen Easterly has identified naming conventions as one of the key pain points for organizations securing their networks. The confusion created by multiple naming systems has historically slowed threat response and reduced confidence in threat attribution. This collaboration directly addresses those concerns by providing clarity without mandating uniformity.

 How CinchOps Can Help Secure Your Business

The Microsoft-CrowdStrike collaboration highlights the critical importance of having unified threat intelligence in today’s cybersecurity environment. As small and medium-sized businesses face increasingly sophisticated threats, the ability to quickly identify and respond to known threat actors becomes paramount to protecting your organization.

CinchOps stays current with the latest threat intelligence developments, including initiatives like the Microsoft-CrowdStrike collaboration, to ensure our clients receive the most accurate and timely threat assessments. We understand that while industry leaders work to solve naming confusion, businesses still need immediate protection against real threats.

CinchOps leverages the latest threat intelligence from multiple sources to provide your business with:

• Comprehensive threat monitoring that incorporates intelligence from major security vendors, ensuring we can identify threats regardless of their naming conventions
• Real-time threat correlation across multiple intelligence feeds to provide faster identification and response to emerging threats
• Unified security operations that eliminate confusion and reduce response times when dealing with known threat actors
• Advanced endpoint detection and response capabilities that can identify threat actor behaviors and techniques regardless of their specific nomenclature
• Proactive threat hunting services that leverage consolidated threat intelligence to identify potential compromise indicators in your environment
• Incident response planning that incorporates knowledge of current threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures
• Employee security awareness training that helps your team understand current threat actors and their common attack methods
• Security architecture reviews that consider the latest threat intelligence and actor attribution data to strengthen your defenses

At CinchOps, we understand that the complexity of threat actor naming shouldn’t slow down. We translate complex threat intelligence into practical security implementations, ensuring your organization benefits from industry-wide improvements without getting lost in technical details.

Whether you need managed IT support, cybersecurity assessments, or comprehensive IT infrastructure management, CinchOps delivers the expertise and reliability that Houston businesses trust to protect their critical assets and maintain operational continuity.

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For Additional Information on this topic: Announcing a new strategic collaboration to bring clarity to threat actor naming

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