Hi nrichmond,

Here's a good background article on APT that you might find helpful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_persistent_threat

"Advanced persistent threat (APT) usually refers to a group, such as a foreign government, with both the capability and the intent to persistently and effectively target a specific entity. The term is commonly used to refer to cyber threats, in particular that of Internet-enabled espionage, but applies equally to other threats such as that of traditional espionage or attack.[1] Other recognised attack vectors include infected media, supply chain compromise, and social engineering. Individuals, such as an individual hacker, are not usually referred to as an APT as they rarely have the resources to be both advanced and persistent even if they are intent on gaining access to, or attacking, a specific target.[2]

The global landscape of APTs from all sources is sometimes referred to in the singular as "the" APT, as are references to the actor behind a specific incident or series of incidents.[citation needed]

The Stuxnet computer worm could be considered[who?] to be the product of an Advanced Persistent Threat, but by classifying its creators as such one would purport to expect further sabotage of the Iranian nuclear program.

Within the computer security community, and increasingly within the media, the term is almost always used in reference to a long-term pattern of sophisticated hacking attacks aimed at governments, companies, and political activists, and by extension, also to refer to the groups behind these attacks.[citation needed] A common misconception[who?] associated with the APT is that the APT only targets Western governments. While examples of technological APTs against Western governments may be more publicized in the West, actors in many nations have used the technological (cyber) APT as a means to gather intelligence on individuals and groups of individuals of interest.[3][4][5] The United States Cyber Command is tasked with coordinating the US military's response to this cyber threat."