The US government has stated in a new report that hacktivism is a threat to national security as significant as ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.

The National Counterintelligence Strategy singled out anti-secrecy organisations —such as WikiLeaks — independent hackers and Islamic extremists as specific threats.

Previous editions of the report focused on Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, along with transnational crime groups, as the central spying threats to the United States.

The new strategy report also adds Cuba to its list of groups able to undertake intelligence operations against the country.

In addition to countries and terrorist organisations, the report lists 'ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations'.

Scroll down for video

US counterintelligence officials now see anti-secrecy groups like WikiLeaks as an equal threat to traditional spying foes like Russia and China

WHAT IS HACKTIVISM? Hacktivision involves using significant hacking and spying methods to obtain protected information for a political agenda or ideology. Individuals who perform hacktivism are known as hacktivists. Hacktivism is meant to call the public's attention to something the hacktivist believes is an important issue or cause, such as freedom of information or human rights. They manipulate the internet and could be individuals going rogue or organised groups. The group known as Anonymous are perhaps the best known hacktivist network. Advertisement

'The United States is facing increasingly aggressive and complex threats from foreign intelligence services, as well as state and non-state actors,' said William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which issued the report.

In addition to hacktivists, the report lists 'ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organisations'.

Foreign nationals with no formal organisational affinity who also conspire to steal sensitive data and intellectual property were also cited as a security concern.

While the report did not mention the group by name, it appears the impact of WikiLeaks contributed to the shift in threat perception after publishing US secrets and top secret CIA hacking tools.

The rapid spread of advanced but still cheap technology for hacking and surveillance has made it possible for anyone to pose a threat, the report said.

The anti-spying organisational arm of the US government has stated in a new report that hacktivism, as by the Anonymous group identified only by the unique mask (pictured), is as dangerous as Russia, China and traditional espionage

It pointed to the widespread availability of technologies with intelligence applications like biometric devices, unmanned systems, high resolution imagery, enhanced surveillance equipment, encryption, artificial intelligence, and advance hacking tools.

'Foreign threat actors have become more dangerous because, with ready access to advanced technology, they are threatening a broader range of targets at lower risk,' it said.

'They are conducting malicious influence campaigns using cyber operations, media manipulation, covert operations, and political subversion to sow divisions in our society, undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, and weaken our alliances.'

Coming nearly four years after Russians allegedly interfered massively in the US presidential election, the report counted online political manipulation an equal risk with threats to critical infrastructure like power systems and traditional covert spying.

The report was released just hours after four Chinese military hackers were indicted by the US Justice Department for allegedly stealing the personal information on 145 million Americans from credit rating company Equifax.