Cyber Awareness Insider Threat Indicators

We often recall of cyber threats as coming from outside our company, or even from other countries — and that is often the case. However, at that place is another threat closer to habitation that many businesses ignore: threats from within their organizations. Known as insider threats, these tin occur for many reasons. In today's increasingly digital and data-driven earth, it's of import to have these insider threat indicators on your radar and to take steps to improve your cyber security posture to reduce the threat.

What Is an Insider Threat?

An insider threat is ane that comes from someone who works for your organisation or has access to your network, such as a vendor, customer or former employee.
Insider threats are responsible for an estimated one-third (33 percentage) of all cyber attacks. This threat is growing rapidly, every bit much every bit 47 percent over the concluding couple of years, and recent cybersecurity surveys show that 66 percent of organizations consider insider attacks to be a more likely threat than external ones.

Intentional Threats

Employees who feel wronged tin can pose formidable threats. They might leak sensitive information, harass associates, demolition equipment or even perpetrate violence. Some may steal proprietary data and intellectual property in the false hope of advancing their careers or for payment from an arrangement that could benefit from that information.
There are documented cases of strange governments planting employees within companies to steal intellectual property.

Unintentional Threats

Unintentional insider threats happen past accident or due to negligence.

Accidental threats occur when an insider mistakenly causes an unintended risk to an organization. We all know that mistakes are made and cannot be completely prevented. For instance, an insider mistypes an email address and accidentally sends a sensitive concern document to a competitor or they inadvertently click on a hyperlink, opening an attachment that contains a virus inside a phishing email. Sometimes information technology'due south because they haven't properly disposed of sensitive documents.

Negligent, or careless threats, are because staff did not follow security protocols. Or, they have misplaced or lost a portable storage device containing sensitive data.

Other examples include staff that:

Won't utilize Multi-Factor Hallmark (MFA).
Allows someone to piggyback through a security point.
Ignores letters to install new updates and security patches.
Uses insecure public Wi-Fi.

Opening Pandora'southward Box (Non-Malicious Insider Threats)

Not all cyber threats caused past insiders are malicious. An employee tin can unintentionally or accidentally put your company at chance in several ways. The almost common are:

Email errors: An email containing sensitive information is sent to the wrong recipient or is not accordingly secured.
Social engineering: Even seasoned professionals tin take the bait in sophisticated phishing scams, peculiarly if they haven't been taught the risks of social engineering. They may autumn for a asking to help someone or some visitor they remember they know. Other times, they ignore security protocols because they're distracted, stressed, rushed or overwhelmed, or they but don't take it seriously, and that'due south a problem.
Bad credential treatment: Poor credential hygiene (think username and password) is ane of the fastest ways for a company to endure a data alienation. Employees may write down passwords on sticky notes or share administrator passwords to save time. In doing so, they are putting the security of their company'south data at high chance.

Malicious Insider Threats

Many malicious insider incidents result from an employee'south termination or layoff. Foreclose terminated employees from taking data with them when they leave and ensure their accounts are promptly disabled to block their access.

Here are some factors that tin plow employees into malicious threats:

Feeling unappreciated or nether undue stress
Receiving a poor performance review
Having serious financial problems
Aroused about beingness passed over for a promotion
Disgruntled by layoffs or terminations
Not getting forth with coworkers or disagreeing with company policies

Of class, most employees won't plow to insider attacks, so it's important non to overreact. Later all, an employer who treats employees like suspects and "threats waiting to happen" is likely to create more potential threats, not reduce them.

Malicious Insider Threat Indicators

Over again, information technology must be said that the signs we're about to mention don't hateful an employee is going to become a malicious threat. Even so, be on alert when an employee:

Starts working odd hours
Isolates themselves or otherwise acts suspiciously
Adds improper privileges to their user account
Downloads or accesses big amounts of data
Sends sensitive data to their private email accounts
Mishandles passwords
Installs unauthorized software and apps
Has been disciplined and seems disgruntled
Decides to leave your visitor

No matter the reason, when an employee leaves the company, it is critical to lock them out of your network equally before long every bit possible.

Insider Threat Prevention Begins With Awareness

A key aspect of a stiff security culture is cyber security awareness. Employees should be taught how to spot and stop security threats and know the best practices for their particular business. Benefits include:

Sensation of the near relevant security threats
Staff that'south engaged with, and takes responsibility for, security problems
Increased compliance with protective security measures
Employees who are more than likely to think and human activity in a security-conscious way
Reduced take a chance of insider incidents

The Importance of Cyber Security Culture

A visitor'southward security culture is the attitude of the entire staff almost cyber security. Many factors comprise your cyber security civilization including:

Corporate priorities
Cognition garnered from cyber security education
The implementation of security best practices
Compliance with security policies and procedures
Maintaining security around data and systems

When employees understand the importance of these practices and the possible consequences of an incident, they are more likely to make smart choices when it comes to security. This strengthens your company's defenses and safeguards your data.

Build a Strong Security Civilisation in Iv Steps

Start at the top. Atomic number 82 by example. If the leadership squad of the company takes security seriously, employees volition, likewise.
Prioritize digital security. Sounds simple, just reports testify that the bulk of businesses are failing at this. An IBM report stated that only nine per centum of those surveyed cited digital security every bit the virtually important factor facing their business concern. Defence force against cyber attacks was rated as the least important factor (18 percent) to their company'southward success.
Marshal IT goals with corporate priorities. Another survey of security professionals stated that one of the three biggest blockers to managing risk was not having the support they needed from leadership to grow a strong security culture: 10 percent said they had no support at all.
Commit to raising security awareness. Seventy-five percentage of survey respondents said they don't spend much time promoting security awareness, less than half their time. It'due south also a fact that 60 percent of businesses don't teach and monitor cyber security fifty-fifty though it is critical for reducing security incidents.

Demand Help?

Intrust It has been helping businesses with It for decades. If you think yous may take an insider threat or just want to shore upward your cyber security, contact us or book a no-obligation coming together. We are ready to help.