Defending against insider threats, when it comes to cybersecurity, most businesses focus on defending against external threats—hackers, malware, and cyberattacks from unknown sources. But what about the risks that come from within? Insider threats, whether intentional or accidental, can be just as damaging. Employees might fall for phishing scams, mishandle sensitive data, or misuse access privileges. Disgruntled staff, careless vendors, or even trusted business partners could expose your company to security breaches. Without proper safeguards, your most valuable assets—customer data, financial records, and proprietary information—are at risk. Protecting your business isn’t just about external defence; it’s about building strong internal security measures to prevent threats before they happen.

Common insider threats

1. Data theft: Data theft occurs when an employee or someone in the organization downloads or leaks sensitive data for personal gain or malicious purposes. Physically stealing company devices containing privileged information or digitally copying them is also considered data theft. For example, a leading healthcare service provider employee downloads and sells protected patient information on the dark web.
2. Sabotage: A disgruntled employee, an activist, or somebody working for your competitor deliberately damages, disrupts, or destroys your organization by deleting important files, infecting an organization’s devices, or locking a business out of crucial systems by changing passwords. For example, a disgruntled employee of a coffee shop deliberately tampers with the machine, causing malfunction and loss of business.
3. Unauthorized access: When malicious actors, such as hackers or disgruntled employees, gain access to business-critical information, this is essentially a security breach. However, individuals can mistakenly access sensitive data unknowingly, too. For example, a malicious employee uses their login credentials to access privileged information and then leaks it to competitors.
4. Negligence and error: Both negligence and error lead to insider threats that can pose a security risk. While mistakes can be reduced through training, dealing with negligence would require stricter enforcement. For example, an employee might click on a malicious link and download malware or misplace a laptop containing sensitive data. In both cases, the company data is compromised.
5. Credential sharing: Think of credential sharing as handing over the keys to your house to a friend. You can’t predict what they will do with it. They might take some sugar or use your home to host a party. Similarly, sharing your confidential password with colleagues or friends throws up a lot of possibilities, including an increased risk of exposing your business to a cyberattack. For example, An employee uses a friend’s laptop to access their work email. They then forget to sign off, and that personal laptop gets hacked. The hacker now has access to the company’s confidential information.

Spotting the threat red flags

It’s crucial to identify insider threats early on. Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs:

• Unusual access patterns: An employee suddenly begins accessing confidential company information irrelevant to their job.
• Excessive data transfers: An employee suddenly starts downloading a large volume of customer data and transfers it onto a memory stick.
• Authorization requests: Someone repeatedly requests access to business-critical information even though their job role doesn’t require it. 
• Use of unapproved devices: Accessing confidential data using personal laptops or devices.
• Disabling security tools: Someone from your organization disables their antivirus or firewall.  
• Behavioural changes: An employee may exhibit abnormal behaviours, such as suddenly missing deadlines or showing signs of extreme stress.

Enhance your defences

Here are our five steps to building a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that will ensure your business stays protected:

1. Implement a firm password policy and encourage multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
2. Ensure employees can only access data and systems needed for their roles. Also, regularly review and update access privileges.
3. Educate and train your employees on insider threats and security best practices.
4. Back up your important data regularly to ensure you can recover from a data loss incident.
5. Develop a comprehensive incident response plan laying out the action plan for responding to insider threat incidents.

Don’t fight insider threats alone

Protecting your business from insider threats can feel overwhelming, especially if you have to do it alone. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards securing your business’s future. Cyology Labs can help you build a robust defence strategy that safeguards your business and future. That’s why having a strong cybersecurity partner by your side can be the ultimate weapon in your arsenal—partner with us to leverage advanced technology to fortify your defences. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation at www.CybersecurityMadeEasy.com