Preventing Insider Threats: A Comprehensive Guide
Picture yourself in your office on a typical day when suddenly, the entire office network is compromised. The cause? An employee opened an email from an unknown source containing malware, leading to a breach of your office’s data.
According to IBM’s 2023 Report, data breaches from internal threats can cost around USD 4.90 million, significantly higher than other types of breaches.
What is an Insider Threat?
An insider threat occurs when someone within an organization misuses their access or knowledge to harm the organization, whether intentionally or accidentally.
Types of Insider Threats
Unintentional Threats
Examples include accidental mistakes like sending sensitive information to the wrong recipient or neglecting security protocols.
Intentional Threats
These threats involve insiders deliberately harming the organization for personal gain or revenge.
Collusive Threats
Insiders collaborate with external parties to harm the organization, posing a significant risk due to the combination of internal access and external criminal intent.
Third-Party Threats
Threats from individuals like suppliers who have access to the organization’s resources.
Key Risks and Challenges of Insider Threats
Insider threats are challenging due to legitimate access, knowledge of sensitive data locations, and familiarity with cybersecurity systems.
How to Detect an Insider Threat
Behavioural Indicators
Monitor for signs like dissatisfaction, policy violations, or unusual working hours that may indicate an insider threat.
Digital Indicators
Look out for activities such as increased network traffic, unauthorized device usage, or irregular resource access.
How To Protect Against Insider Threats
Protect Critical Assets
Identify and prioritize critical assets and implement heightened security measures for their protection.
Create a Baseline of Normal Behavior
Implement monitoring systems to analyze user activity data and establish behavioural baselines for threat detection.
Increase Visibility
Enhance organizational visibility by monitoring activities from multiple sources and employing cyber deception technologies.
Enforce Policies
Clearly define and communicate security policies to ensure every stakeholder understands expected behaviours.
Promote Culture Changes
Develop a security-aware culture through training programs and continuous measurement of employee satisfaction.
Insider Threat Detection Solutions
Utilize specialized software to detect signs of insider tampering and optimize detection systems to minimize false positives.
Examples of Insider Threats
- A fired employee retaliates by deleting critical data after termination.
- An employee accidentally exposes sensitive data, leading to serious consequences for the organization.
Summing Up
Insider threats are a significant risk for organizations, but by implementing robust detection measures and promoting a security-aware culture, organizations can effectively safeguard against these threats and prevent potential disruptions.