An Insider Threat is anyone with given access who uses that access to willingly or unwillingly harm the organization and its resources. Insiders can be employees, vendors, partners, suppliers, or anyone else connected to the business. They are individuals that you provide access to your facilities and information. Trusted insiders may commit evil acts, such as fraud, theft, sabotage, espionage, unauthorized disclosure, workplace violence, and so much more. Unknowing insiders may accidentally disclose sensitive information, unknowingly download malware, or facilitate other cybersecurity events. Anyone can be a potential insider threat. All organizations are vulnerable.
Making Sure You Know Potential Risk Indicators
Most insider threats display risky behavior prior to committing bad workplace events. If identified early, many risks can be halted before harm to the organization occurs. It is your responsibility to report these indicators to your supervisor, security officer, and any insider threat program. If you are the owner of the company it is your job to make sure you know and are educated on any potential insider threat vulnerability that your company may or may not have. You do not want your business to lose almost everything or important information because you were not prepared to take on insider threats. The best way to combat these threats is to be prepared and understand how to attack each one.
Seeing and Reporting Potential Risk Indicators
Not all of these potential risk indicators will be noticeable in every insider threat and not every person who displays these behaviors is doing something wrong. However, most insider threats have shown at least some of the potential risk indicators. Early reporting allows the necessary people or programs to pursue a multi-disciplinary approach to gathering and reviewing information suggestive of an insider threat, going back to that data as appropriate, and developing mitigation response options while protecting the privacy and civil freedoms of the workforce. The goal of a threat detective program is to stop threats and detect potential issues early on before a problem comes up. Early reporting can prevent harm to self or others, losses to the organization, and protect vital information security.
Again, make sure you know what you are looking for is truly vital in making sure your business and everyone involved in it is safe and protected from insider threats. Not all insider threats are on purpose, and that is why it is even more prudent to be prepared and ready.
In the end, while an insider threat may not be someone with malicious intent, they can still cause a problem for you and your company. Just like if someone sends a wire payment accidentally to the wrong bank, you want to make sure you lower the chances of anything bad happening to as little as possible. So do the work, understand where the potential risks are, and take action where it is necessary. You do not want your business to go down in flames over a clumsy mistake or an attack.
