How to Spot (and Stop) an Insider Threat

When you think about cybersecurity, do you picture external threat actors who want to infiltrate a company or organization? 
While attacks launched by outsiders are certainly common, cyberattacks caused by insiders (such as employees) can be especially dangerous.
These insider threats are among the most significant cyber risks companies face. This is because employees and other insiders often have access to sensitive company information, which can be used to either breach secure networks or coerce an organization into paying ransoms or meeting some other demand. 
Some employees actively want to harm their companies due to grievances, greed, or other motivations. However, insider threats don’t always involve malicious intent. For example, employee negligence can lead to unauthorized data sharing or credential theft, which gives threat actors a foothold in the company. 
Additionally, to coerce information-sharing, cybercriminals often offer payment for access to sensitive information. They’re using every tool they have to manipulate people into helping them break through companies’ defenses, and all employees need to be on their guard.
Regardless of the origin, insider threats can be devastating to a company. The Ponemon Institute found that the total average annual cost of insider incidents is $15.4 million, while it takes organizations an average of 85 days to contain these incidents. 
As the number of insider threats continues to rise, it is important for companies to remember to invest in monitoring internal threats as much as external ones. There are a few ways companies can step up to take preventative action against these threats: 

Companies have to build their security awareness training platforms around identifying and stopping these threats. Beyond learning about how to identify potential cyberattacks in real-time, employees need to know how to report suspicious activity – such as the presence of unauthorized devices or disabled multi-factor authentication. 

CISOs need to be active in developing a culture of cybersecurity. This requires buy-in at every level of the company – from the rest of the C-suite to all managers to employees across departments and teams. 

Employees must be educated on how severe the consequences of insider attacks can be – from the exposure of sensitive information (which could lead to identity theft or other forms of fraud on a mass scale) to devastating financial and reputational costs for the company to the possibility of huge fines and even imprisonment. 

With a robust SAT platform in place, potential threat actors will think twice before working with cybercriminals to put their colleagues, customers, and companies at risk.