INSIDER THREAT
MITIGATE YOUR INSIDER RISKS
Insider threats can be the result of malicious intent or plain negligence. Regardless of how it happens, the impact of insider threat is the same - it can be detrimental to the business. Having the tools to put together the right measures to discourage this insider threat is not only important, it is essential.
CYBERSECURITY THREATS FROM WITHIN
Clearly, it is prudent to build a fortress against cyber threats from infiltrating the organisation. However, with an insider threat, it is also imperative to be vigilant against vulnerabilities from within.
In today’s relentless cyber threat landscape, any form of vulnerability within business infrastructure risks being exploited very swiftly. More often than not, these vulnerabilities come from within the company. Studies have shown that insiders (personnel with access to internal systems) are responsible for most data breaches. In a 2024 study, 83% of organisations reported at least one insider attack during the prior year.
Not all threats are caused by malicious intent. Negligence, misuse and accidental data modifications pose the same security problems to an organisation.
RECOGNISING THE FACE OF INSIDER THREATS
Insider threats may compromise a business through its technological infrastructure. The biggest challenge of insider threats is that they are not a technological issue. Instead, they are a human resource problem.
Insider threats come in many forms and can be typically characterised as:
NEGLIGENT PERSONNEL
This is by far the most common kind of insider threat. To begin with, when an employee or contractor fails to abide by the company’s security policies out of oversight and carelessness, they become negligent personnel. As a result, this lack of attention runs the risk of causing significant losses to the business.
Next, consider the Rule Benders. These individuals are typically aware of security policies but choose to bypass them for convenience. For example, they may save company data to a personal device or cloud service. Consequently, they leave sensitive information open to compromise.
Finally, there are Malicious Actors. These can be disgruntled or exiting employees who may be tempted to pursue a vendetta against their employer. Alternatively, an insider may act on behalf of an external party with malicious intent. In either case, while their motives may differ, the damage they cause is equally detrimental.