Critical minerals and cyber operations

The report explains that rare earth elements and critical minerals have become strategic dependencies, with China dominating processing and refining and geopolitical competition accelerating into new frontiers (deep sea, Arctic, Antarctica, space). Recorded Future’s Insikt Group observed state-sponsored cyber operations and criminal groups targeting mining companies, regulators, and supply chains — including activity linked to APT15, campaigns against seabed regulators, and ransomware/data leaks (e.g., BianLian vs. Northern Minerals) — and recommends resilience, access controls, and monitoring to mitigate rising cyber risks to the sector.