Insider Threats: Types and how to prevent it

Insider threats refer to cybersecurity threats from actors who have legitimate access, meaning they are employees, contractors, or business partners, who, either intentionally or accidentally misuse their legitimate access, or have their accounts exposed through cyber attackers.

While many of the cyberattack conversations are dominated by external actors, insider threats, both accidental and malicious, are costly and pose much more damage. 

‍Types of Insider Threats

• Malicious Insiders: They are malicious insiders who use their attributed access to company information systems either for personal gain or to damage the company. This type of insider threat is usually hard to detect since the insiders are often skilled in covering their illicit activities.
• ‍Negligent Insiders: Negligent insiders pose security risks inadvertently due to ignorance or carelessness or misplaced trust. This includes falling victim to phishing scams, bypassing security protocols for convenience, losing devices that could grant unauthorized network access, or mistakenly sharing sensitive files with external parties and cybercriminals. This can happen due the lack of awareness or training or simply by making a mistake.
• Accidental Insiders: Accidental insiders are people who inadvertently provide access to company systems or data to unauthorized people. A typical scenario involves an employee clicking on a phishing email link, thereby providing attackers with access to their workstation.

Insider threats do pose a great threat to an organization, emphasizing the need  for businesses to establish protocols that can, as much as possible, minimize such risks. Common mitigation tactics include raising employees’ awareness about security, making sure that sensitive data is handled appropriately, and constantly monitoring system activity. Further mitigation measures will follow below. 

‍Mitigation Measures

Employee Awareness and Training

It is important for your workforce to understand the risks of the insider threats and be able to identify suspicious behavior. They should also be armed with knowledge on how to act if they suspect that someone is trying to carry out an insider threat. Training can be done through different mediums of delivery, such as online courses, in-person seminars, or printed material. High and clear standards of security policies and procedures that are required to be followed by any organization should be set.

Access Control

Physical and electronic access to your company's information and resources should be adequately controlled. Access is to be given only where it is necessary, and records should be kept on who accessed what and when. Abnormal activity should be regularly reviewed, and any potential threats should be tracked properly.

Data Protection

Ensure the security of your company's data by encrypting it and storing it in safe places. Extreme care should be taken with who can access this data and access to it should be trailed appropriately. There may be technical solutions that can be used to prevent the leakage or theft of sensitive data, such as data loss prevention tools.

Lastly, for protection of your most critical assets—either the physical assets, such as facilities and personnel, or digital assets, such as systems and technologies, including customer data—a strong defense-in-depth should be adopted.

Incident Response Plan

An incident involving an insider threat calls for an incident response plan, even if only on a paper basis. The plan should provide outlines of step-by-step actions to take for containing the incident, a thorough investigation, and recovery efforts. Sensible and timely responses may involve such actions as the revocation of access privileges, suspension or termination of employment, and calling the police if required.

Determine the Organization's Assets and Categorize Risks

It is important for an organization to know where its assets are and who has access to them. This allows for an organization-wide categorization of the vulnerability of each asset and allows for a risk-based plan for addressing them.

Know your People

Organizations should conduct comprehensive background screenings on employees, contractors, and third-party partners before authorizing their access to sensitive information and systems. These checks serve to uncover possible insider threats, including individuals with previous records of theft or fraudulent activities.

Take the Approach of Detect - Identify - Assess - Manage

Incident and threat information can be gathered and analyzed for organizations to assess and categorize risk. Once a level of risk is determined, management can be implemented in order to mitigate those risks effectively.

All in all,

In conclusion, while insider threats present a significant concern for businesses, implementing strong mitigation strategies is crucial. Regardless of perceived security measures, the presence of a malicious insider remains a possibility, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance.

By prioritizing both technical controls and fostering a culture of honesty, organizations can effectively protect their data and processes. With the right cybersecurity tools and procedures, coupled with a strong company culture based on integrity, businesses can mitigate the risk of insider threats and safeguard their success.

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