Incentivised by states! --- Indeed, they are mercenaries who are not just tolerated but encouraged and incentivised by states. Nicole Perlorth, who is a journalist with NT Times, has written about zero day traders, who are in fact freelance developers who find vulnerabilities and create cyberweapons to sell to the highest bidders, who are very often nation states building their cyber arsenal. For nation states, it is sometimes cheaper to buy these exploits from the market, and for the mercenaries, it is a great way to make money without threat of criminal action.

Source author: Pavitra Ramanujam pavitra.ramanujam@gmail.com