By PJ Bradley
When you have a business to secure, the possibility of an external
attack feels like enough to handle without the added worry of threats from
inside the company. The prospect is daunting, but insider threats can pose a
serious risk to an organization and should be taken seriously. The first step
to protecting against insider threats is understanding what they are and where
they come from. Though the challenges of the risks posed by insiders can be
difficult to surmount, they are not impossible. Armed with the correct
information and resources, preventing insider threats from arising doesn't have
to be overly complicated.
What is an Insider Threat?
An insider threat is defined by the United States
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as "the potential
for an insider to use their authorized access or understanding of an
organization to harm that organization." The term is broad by design, and it
covers a wide variety of different actions and consequences. Insider threats
can be espionage, sabotage, theft, data leakage, and even physical violence.
Insider threats can be more dangerous and difficult to prevent than external
ones, as it is challenging to curb an insider's potential risk without hindering
their function in the company.
Insiders can be anyone from employees and contractors to
custodians and repair people. There are many individuals involved in the
business at all levels, and each one has the potential to use their knowledge
and authorized access to cause damage to an organization. Some level of access
is necessary for a job to get done, but insiders are often granted
authorization for areas that should be restricted. Ensuring that internal
actors are only allowed into areas of the network or business they must be in
is an essential step in fighting insider threats.
Why do Insider Threats Occur?
Because "insider threat" is an umbrella term for many types
of risks, it makes sense that these threats also stem from many root causes. An
insider may pose a threat because of personal, political, or professional
allegiances, ignorance of security best practices, simple negligence, or other
reasons. Discussing these reasons in three major categories makes the most
sense: threats where an insider intentionally sets out to do harm, threats
where the insider causes harm inadvertently, and threats where another party
compromises an insider's access.
Malicious Insiders
Threats from insiders who intend to harm are often motivated
by negative feelings toward the organization. Whether acting on their own
personal vendetta or on behalf of a competing company, foreign government, or another
third party, these bad actors can use their inside access to hurt the target
organization. They can be financially motivated, stealing money directly from
their organization or committing sabotage or espionage for payment from another
party. They can also be emotionally motivated if an insider feels the company
has wronged them, such as by underpaying them or passing them over for a
promotion. According to one
analysis, malicious insiders are the least common type of insider threat
but far more costly per incident than accidental insider threats.
Unintentional Threats
By far, the most common type of insider threat is the
unintentional threat posed by the ignorance or negligence of an insider. Employees,
contractors, partners, and other internal actors can have access to accounts,
devices, and areas of the network that those outside the organization are
barred from, but they are not always trained on security protocols for the
technology and data in their hands. All insiders must receive training in
cybersecurity best practices and specific policies to keep your organization
safe. This kind of threat is less costly per incident, but overall the most
expensive category due to sheer volume.
Compromised Accounts and Devices
These threats occur when an outsider gains access to an
insider's account or device to cause harm to the organization. Criminal actors outside
a company can obtain credentials, steal devices, or inflict malware as a way
into the organization, depending on their ultimate goals and the methods they
plan to use to get there. They can use employee credentials and devices to
steal data, steal money, or hinder business operations. They can also use
phishing to infect one device with malware and then use that device to further
infect the network, sabotaging the organization. This type of threat is not
extremely common, but it is the most costly per incident. Because the attacker
needs to somehow gain access to employee resources, cybersecurity training and
cyber hygiene policies can go a long way in preventing this kind of incident.
Conclusion
Insider threats are a dynamic and
formidable force to be reckoned with. When avoiding the fallout of a potential
incident, "there are a variety of tools and strategies
that organizations can use to rein in their insider risk and prevent threats." With knowledge of insider threats and their motivations, you should be
equipped to decide which preventive measures and solutions to implement for
your organization.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PJ Bradley is a writer on a wide variety of topics,
passionate about learning and helping people above all else. Holding a
bachelor's degree from Oakland University, PJ enjoys using a lifelong desire to
understand how things work to write about subjects that inspire interest. Most
of PJ's free time is spent reading and writing. PJ is also a regular writer at Bora.