While you may have excellent security measures against external threats, it's important to also tackle internal vulnerabilities in your organization. Employees, vendors, partners, and even yourself can unintentionally or deliberately pose a risk to your security. Consequently, it's imperative to strengthen your business against internal threats. Let's explore internal threats, recognize warning signs, and discuss strategies to reduce these risks.
What are cybersecurity insider threats?
Insider threats come in many forms, each carrying its own unique risks.
- Credential sharing: Credential sharing invalidates data controls and gives unauthorized access to systems violating data security. You can’t control what they do. Sharing passwords increases the risk of cyberattacks. For example, an employee accessing work email on a friend's hacked laptop risks exposing confidential information.
- Data theft: An employee or individual affiliated with the organization may download or leak sensitive data for personal profit or malicious intent. This can include physically stealing company devices that hold sensitive information or digitally copying such data, both of which constitute theft. For instance, consider an employee of a prominent healthcare service provider who downloads and subsequently sells protected patient information on the dark web.
- Sabotage: A discontented employee, activist, or competitor can intentionally undermine your organization by deleting critical files, infecting devices, or locking you out of essential systems by altering passwords. For instance, consider a dissatisfied barista who sabotages the coffee machine, leading to malfunctions and significant revenue loss for the shop.
- Unauthorized access: This represents a significant security breach when malicious individuals, such as hackers or disgruntled employees, infiltrate access to vital business information. However, it's important to note that access to sensitive data can also occur unintentionally. For instance, a malicious employee might exploit their login credentials to obtain confidential information and subsequently leak it to competitors.
- Negligence & error: Mistakes and lack of understanding commonly create security risks. While errors can be mitigated through effective training, addressing negligence necessitates a more stringent approach to enforcement. For instance, an employee may unintentionally click on a malicious link and unknowingly unleash malware, or they might misplace a laptop containing highly sensitive data. Regardless, in both scenarios, the company's data is compromised, underlining the urgent need for robust security measures.
Identify the insider threat warning signs.
Identifying insider threats at an early stage is essential. Be vigilant for these unmistakable warning signs:
- Disabling security tools: Antivirus, VPNs, and firewalls are disabled or uninstalled.
- Unusual access requests: An employee seeks access to data that is not relevant to their job.
- Excessive data transfers: An employee downloads large volumes of data and transfers it outside the network.
- Use of unapproved devices: An employee uses unmanaged personal devices to access company data.
- Behavioral changes: An employee starts missing deadlines or becomes careless in their work.
Seven insider threat protections.
Implement these seven essential steps to establish a robust cybersecurity framework that will help keep your business secure:
- Implement logging and log analysis tools to evaluate data activities for unusual access patterns.
- Establish a robust password policy and require the use of multi-factor authentication whenever feasible.
- Implement strict access controls so that employees can only reach the data and systems essential for their specific roles.
- Conduct regular user access reviews and update access privileges to ensure ongoing security.
- Enhance your workforce's awareness by providing comprehensive education and training on insider threats and effective security best practices.
- Regularly back up your crucial data to safeguard against potential data loss incidents and ensure swift recovery when needed.
- Create a detailed incident response plan that outlines a strategic approach for effectively tackling insider threat incidents.
Don't tackle security insider threats alone.
Safeguarding your business against insider threats can be daunting, particularly when navigating it on your own. This is where having a seasoned security partner becomes invaluable. As your trusted IT service provider, we specialize in implementing security measures tailored to your needs. Work with Server At Work to fortify your business from within.
