The Reality of Insider Threats in Cybersecurity

When you think of cybersecurity threats, you probably think of hackers trying to break into your systems from the outside. But one of the most common threats to data security is also one of the most insidious - insiders. This is the insider threat, a threat to data security that comes from within an organization. 

In this blog post, we'll talk about what insider threats are, and what you can actually do to stop them.

What is an Insider Threat?

Insider threats have become one of the most overlooked yet potentially dangerous security risks for companies and organizations. Over 70% of insider threats go unreported, causing millions in damages per incident. 

CISA defines an insider threat as "the potential for an insider to use their authorized access or understanding of an organization to harm that organization".

Put simply, insider threats are threats posed by individuals who have access to company data and systems and who use that access to harm the company—either intentionally or unintentionally. Often, these threats come from employees who have something to gain by harming the company, such as disgruntled workers or former employees with malicious intent. This can include stealing or leaking confidential data, sabotaging systems or networks, or simply abusing their access to disrupt normal business operations.

Insider threats can be difficult to identify and protect against, as insiders often have authorized access to the systems and data they're targeting. They may also be familiar with the organization's security procedures and be able to circumvent them without raising suspicion. Often times organizations are unaware of the existence of an insider threat until an incident has already occurred, making it even more difficult to mitigate and respond to the threat.

But insider threats don't just come from people who have an obvious motive. They can also come from careless or naive employees who don't realize the damage they could be doing by simply clicking on the wrong link or sharing information with the wrong person. Even third-party contractors and vendors can pose insider threats if they gain unauthorized access to systems.

Common Types of Insider Threats

There are mainly two categories of insider threats: malicious and negligent insiders. Let's take a closer look at each of them below:

The Malicious Insider

Malicious Insiders steal data intentionally, knowing fully well the risks they pose. For example, an employee or contractor may steal valuable information (such as Intellectual Property (IP), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or financial information) for a financial motive, a competitive advantage, or just to retaliate for being fired or suspended.

One such instance was when a departing Yahoo employee stole proprietary information about Yahoo’s AdLearn product just minutes after receiving a job offer from a competitor. He transferred around 570,000 pages of Yahoo's intellectual property (IP) to his personal devices, anticipating that the knowledge would be useful in his new position.

The Negligent Insider

Negligent insiders are just ordinary employees or contractors that unintentionally expose sensitive information to the wrong people. For instance, an employee could send a confidential email to the wrong person, leave a file on a shared network drive, become a target of phishing attacks, or lose their work device. Negligent insiders don't intend to harm, but may not always be aware of the information security risks they pose. 

In July 2020, hackers used a phone-based spear phishing attack, promoting a bitcoin scam, to target Twitter employees. What started off as an interest to learn more about Twitter's internal systems and operations, quickly turned into an insider attack that compromised 130 high-profile Twitter accounts. 

Other types of insiders include third-party vendors, business partners, consultants, policy evaders, and anyone else who has access to company  data and systems. While these individuals or groups may not be directly responsible for the security of company information, they can potentially introduce risk into the organization through a lack of compliance, poor security, or simply a lack of awareness.

The Impact of Insider Threats

Insider threats can have a devastating impact on any organization. They can cause financial losses, reputational damage, and even legal repercussions. Moreover, a small undetected breach can lead to a massive data leak, which can be extremely difficult to contain. In addition, organizations may be subject to fines, penalties, and other legal repercussions as a result of a data breach caused by an insider. 

As previous attacks have shown, unauthorized access to sensitive data can lead to the leak of sensitive information, damage of customer trust, and large-scale business disruption. 

In some cases, the attack can even cause irreparable harm to a company, such as the theft of trade secrets and confidential information. That can lead to lost customers, disgruntled shareholders and declining stock prices. In the worst cases, a company may be forced to shut down due to the extreme damage caused by the attack.

Preventing Insider Threats

Here are some steps you can follow to prevent insider threats: 

Threat Detection

Detecting and identifying potential insider threats requires the right mix of people, and tools. People such as employees, friends, peers, family, and casual observers are often the best judge of suspicious or inappropriate behaviors, as they have more insight into an individual's behaviors, stressors, and emotions. This individual insight can be augmented by monitoring tools that keep an eye on your network at all times and detect anomalous behavior. 

Regular Risk Assessments

In addition to monitoring tools, it is essential to regularly assess the risks associated with potential insider threats. This helps to identify vulnerabilities, potential threats, and areas of improvement. Regular risk assessments can help identify and address areas of concern, such as access control policies, authentication protocols, user access privileges, and employee training programs. 

Least Privilege and Separation of Duties

One of the best defenses against insider threats is the implementation of least privilege and separation of duties. Least privilege means that individuals are only granted the access to resources that are needed to perform their job, while separation of duties requires that no single user is able to access all parts of a system or process. This limits the potential damage an insider could cause and helps ensure that any malicious activity is caught sooner. Additionally, organizations should regularly review user access and ensure that people only have access to systems they need to perform their job.

User Education and Training

User education and training can help organizations prevent insider threats by teaching users about the risks and consequences of their actions. It is important to equip users with the knowledge and resources to recognize and report suspicious activities, as well as to understand the importance of data security. 

Some more tips on reducing the risk of insider threats: 

If you keep looking at your employees as the problem, it can set a tone that the IT team is the enemy. Rather, look at your employees as your biggest asset and potentially also your greatest defense. Instead of viewing employees as a threat, focus on harnessing the untapped security potential of your workforce. Switching to a more positive and collaborative approach can create a safer environment for your employees and ultimately create a more secure organization. 

To further avoid the risk of insider threats, consider developing policies that don't leave employees in a financially strained position in your organization as they are the ones most likely to have malicious intent. Additionally, review your vendors and contractors regularly to ensure that they are compliant with your company's security policies and industry standards. 

Conclusion

So, the next time you hear about an insider threat, don’t just blame the individual. Look at the system that allowed it to happen and work towards a more forgiving yet effective system that will protect your organization from future insider threats. 

How Can Threat Intelligence Help?

Discover Threat Intelligence's Evolve suite of cybersecurity solutions - the all-in-one platform that helps protect enterprises against insider threats, and more. With it, you can detect supply chain vulnerabilities, compromised passwords in your network, and any malicious activity that could potentially disrupt your business. Find out more now at www.threatintelligence.com - or book a free demo today.