Just like weeds growing in a garden thrive under certain conditions, insider threat mitigation is tricky because these threats to companies can develop from a mix of too much trust, mistakes, and, sometimes, deliberate harmful actions. These threats come not just from angry employees or spying but often from simple mistakes like sending an email to the wrong person or storing the organisation’s data inappropriately. These risks can come from anyone accessing important company information, such as employees, contractors, or business partners.

Different types of insider threats

There are several kinds of insider threats based on their behaviours:

  • Negligent insiders: These people accidentally cause damage because they do not pay attention or know the rules.
  • Malicious insiders: These individuals intentionally use their access to do damage, steal information, or disrupt the company’s systems.
  • Compromised insiders: These are legitimate users whose accounts have been taken over by outside hackers.

Other motivations include unhappy employees, those looking for financial gain, and outsiders pretending to be employees to steal company secrets.

Spotting and handling insider threats and a path towards mitigation

You can tell if there might be an insider threat by looking at things like if someone is unhappy at work, breaking the rules, working odd hours, or accessing information they shouldn’t. To find and deal with these threats, companies can use special software tools that watch how users behave, manage security information and events, and automate security responses.

How to prevent insider threats

Stopping insider threats requires a plan that includes the following:

  • A program that involves a multidisciplinary team, including those from the human resources, IT, legal, and security departments.
  • Giving employees only the necessary access and watching what they do with it.
  • Regular training to teach employees about cybersecurity and the importance of keeping information safe.
  • Using a ‘zero-trust’ approach to security that doesn’t automatically trust anyone, even if they are inside the company.

Legal and privacy issues for insider threat mitigation

It’s important to keep security measures in line with relevant data protection laws. Companies need to be clear about how they monitor activities and ensure their data protection and acceptable use policies are straightforward.

Real examples and case studies

  • The Irish Teaching Council Breach shows what happens when a negligent insider falls for a phishing attack, and security isn’t strong enough, leading to a €60,000 fine for not protecting personal data as required by the GDPR.
  • The Pentagon Leak Case shows the serious problems insider threats can cause, with a National Guard member becoming a malicious insider and leaking classified information, showing the wide range of reasons behind insider threats and the significant impact they can have.

What you can do next

Focusing on insider threat mitigation as if it were a garden that needs constant care offers the best chance for a company to protect itself and grow. By encouraging a culture that is aware of security, using the latest tools to detect threats, and working together across the company, businesses can stay safe in a constantly changing world. You can make your company stronger against insider threats by: