In this digital age, the threat of cyberattacks and cybercriminal behavior is more prevalent than ever before. The frequency, scope, and impact of cyber threats continue to rise at an alarming rate; with insider threats being one of the most difficult security challenges to guard against. Regardless of the size or scope of your organization, internal malicious actors can pose a significant risk.
In fact, recent studies show that insider threats often result in more extensive damage than external attacks. It’s no surprise that insider threats are among the top five risks cited by CISOs and other security professionals as they continue to deal with an increasing number of cyberattacks on their organizations. To help you protect your company from these malicious insiders, we’ve compiled a list of insider threat examples, common types of insider threats in cybersecurity and tips on how to mitigate insider threats throughout your organization.
What is an insider threat?
An insider threat is any malicious activity within an organization perpetrated by someone who has legitimate access to company resources, such as employees, contractors, or third-party vendors. With the growing threat of cyberattacks, insider threats have become a primary concern among security professionals. Insider threats come in many shapes and sizes. Some examples include employees stealing company data or intellectual property, attempting to sabotage an organization’s systems and operations, or introducing malicious code. These malicious insiders may include employees who have been terminated but still have access to systems and data, contractors who have been misused or improperly supervised, or malicious employees who have been hired to do harm.
Insider threat example: Dewanda Shioing
In 2014, Dewanda Shioing was a temporary IT contractor for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Her role was to assist with testing software patches that were part of the agency’s efforts to comply with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. Shioing, however, had other plans. To cover her tracks, Shioing disabled the software patch management system, installed a remote access tool on the network and patched the software to use a Chinese server, which allowed her to control the server and obtain a “god-like” status. Shioing also accessed the email accounts of her managers and colleagues and sent emails to the agency’s employees that claimed a “nation-state actor” had hacked their systems. She also altered the website of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Determining an insider threat
Although malicious insiders can come from any part of your organization, data from the Comparative Risk Assessment Tool (CRAT) suggests that employees pose the highest risk for companies with more than $50 million in revenue. The data shows that malicious contractors, vendors, and suppliers, who are not an inherent part of the organization, pose a low risk, while malicious employees and ex-employees pose a high risk. If you suspect that an employee may be a malicious insider threat, it’s important to assess whether the person has the knowledge and ability to carry out the malicious activity. You can also evaluate the person’s intent and attitude towards the organization, including his or her level of frustration or unhappiness with job performance.
Common types of insider threats in Cybersecurity
Employees – The most common type of insider threat is an employee who may be disgruntled, misusing his or her legitimate access to systems, or has been coerced or compromised.
Contractors – Contractors are hired by organizations to complete one-time tasks or projects. However, some can be given “routine access” to systems or full-time access with little supervision or oversight.
Third-party vendors – Third-party vendors provide goods and services to businesses on a recurring basis. While these vendors are often essential for daily operations and services, they may be unaware of the security protocols in place and put your systems at risk.
How to mitigate insider threats in your organization
To reduce the risk of insider threats, it’s important to train employees on security protocols, run periodic security awareness training sessions throughout the year, and closely monitor access to sensitive data and systems. You should also have a clear and robust termination and layoff policy, which outlines the process of removing employees’ access to sensitive data, systems, and networks.
You should also closely monitor the use of privileged accounts and closely monitor access to sensitive data and systems. You should also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all employees, contractors, and vendors with access to sensitive data, systems, and networks.
It’s also important to update and patch all systems, including computers and workstations, and regularly perform software audits to identify any vulnerabilities. Finally, you should implement a data-loss prevention (DLP) solution that enables you to monitor, track, and restrict access to sensitive data.
Conclusion
Insider threats are a major challenge for organizations of all sizes. While risk-based security measures can help reduce the risk of malicious insiders, it’s important to proactively identify and mitigate the risk of internal malicious actors who may be looking to do harm to your organization. By implementing the tips outlined in this article, you can reduce the risk of an insider threat occurring within your organization. It’s important to take these threats seriously and be aware of the risk they pose.