There are a few different indicators of an insider threat that should be looked out for, including: For secure cyber defense against an insider threat, you have to keep an eye on anomalous behavioral and digital activity. Most threat intelligence tools focus on the analysis of network, computer and application data while giving scant attention to the actions of authorized persons who could misuse their privileged access. They may pose as a vendor, partner, contractor or employee, thereby obtaining privileged authorization they otherwise would not qualify for. A goof may be a user who stores confidential customer information on their personal device, even though they know it’s against organizational policy.Ī mole is an outsider but one who has gained insider access to the organization’s systems. They are arrogant, ignorant and/or incompetent users who do not recognize the need to follow security policies and procedures. Goofs deliberately take potentially harmful actions but harbor no malicious intent. These unintentional acts could include downloading malware to their computer or disclosing confidential information to an impostor. Pawns are authorized users who have been manipulated into unintentionally acting maliciously, often through social engineering techniques such as spear phishing. The individual involved unknowingly exposes enterprise systems to external attack.Ĭareless insider threats may be pawns or goofs. They are often the result of human error, poor judgement, unintentional aiding and abetting, convenience, phishing (and other social engineering tactics), malware and stolen credentials. They can be especially dangerous because they often have privileged system access such as database administrators.Ĭareless insider security threats occur inadvertently. Lone wolves operate entirely independently and act without external manipulation or influence. The collaborator’s action would lead to the leak of confidential information or the disruption of business operations. The third party may be a competitor, nation-state, organized criminal network or an individual. Malicious insider threats may be collaborators or lone wolves.Ĭollaborators are authorized users who work with a third party to intentionally harm the organization. Examples include an employee who sells confidential data to a competitor or a disgruntled former contractor who introduces debilitating malware on the organization’s network. They intentionally abuse their privileged access to steal information or degrade systems for financial, personal and/or malicious reasons. Organizations must therefore tackle insider threats with at least as much rigor as they do external threats.Īlso referred to as a turncloak, the principal goals of malicious insider threats include espionage, fraud, intellectual property theft and sabotage. They are keenly aware of system versions and the vulnerabilities therein. Malicious insiders have a distinct advantage over other categories of malicious attackers because of their familiarity with enterprise systems, processes, procedures, policies and users. Because the insider already has valid authorization to data and systems, it’s difficult for security professionals and applications to distinguish between normal and harmful activity. Traditional cybersecurity strategies, policies, procedures and systems often focus on external threats, leaving the organization vulnerable to attacks from within. Insider threats are the cause of most data breaches. No matter the intent, the end result is compromised confidentiality, availability, and/or integrity of enterprise systems and data. An insider threat may be executed intentionally or unintentionally. It typically occurs when a current or former employee, contractor, vendor or partner with legitimate user credentials misuses their access to the detriment of the organization’s networks, systems and data. An insider threat refers to a cyber security risk that originates from within an organization.
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