Your employees are your biggest cybersecurity risk. They have authorised access to your most sensitive data and network. When employees are not properly trained, they can unintentionally expose your organisation to a host of cyber threats. Insider threats are a real and growing threat to businesses of all sizes.
In this article, we will explore the types of insider threat and what you can do to mitigate them.
4 Types of Insider Threats
There are many types of insider threats, which makes them harder to detect. Anyone can penetrate insider security breaches. Some may be false alarms while some may be malicious. Below are four types of insider threats you should be aware of:
#1 Malicious/Disgruntled Employee
An outgoing employee can be a serious threat if not handled correctly. A sales employee may leave with all business contacts, which is considered malicious theft of company data. A disgruntled employee who is fired may decide to do the company harm by planting ransomware or malware to create havoc on the company’s network. For tips on handling outgoing employees, read tips on offboarding employees.
#2 Careless/Negligent Employee
Not all insider threats are intentional. It could also result from careless or untrained employees that cause an accidental data breach. An employee could accidentally share classified information on an informal network. Accessing the company’s network on public Wi-Fi could also open it up to potential breaches. Simple actions such as leaving unattended computers unlocked or keeping passwords in unsecured platforms can also be a security loophole. It is important to train employees regularly on the importance of vigilance in cybersecurity.
#3 Third Party with Access to Your Systems
You may have contractors, freelancers, and vendors that have access to your network, these are external threats that can be considered an insider breach risk. All third-party access to your network, systems, and data needs to be reviewed and monitored closely. If you work with an IT partner, they could help you review all this external access to sniff out potential data security.
#4 Compromised Password
Compromised credentials are one of the most common types of insider threats. When a hacker gets access to an employee’s login, your network and data become available to the hacker. Your system will identify the hacker as a legitimate user as they would use real login and passwords. This is harder to detect and may cause massive damage.
Ways to Mitigate Insider Threats
It may not be easy to detect insider threats until they have been discovered. However, you can take preventive measures to minimise the risk. A proactive measure helps to prevent you from suffering a costly incident. It may be ongoing for months before you find out.
Below are some of the best tactics for reducing insider threat risk.
#1 Thorough Background Checks
Always make sure to perform a thorough background check when hiring any new employees. The same goes for all vendors, contractors, and freelancers that provide access to your network and systems. All these are preventive measures that help to prevent inviting a potential security risk into your company.
#2 Endpoint Device Solutions
Implement an endpoint management solution to monitor device access. Companies with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, remote workers using their own workstation and devices, and the use of mobile devices increases the amount of endpoints in a company. Without a proper endpoint device solution, it is impossible to track and manage access to your company’s network and data. Call us for info on how to use an endpoint solution to safe list devices and block unauthorised devices.
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Learn More About SecurityScore#3 Multi-factor Authentication & Password Security
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent credential theft. Hackers will find it difficult to get past this additional login step. It is not easy to get access to a person’s mobile device. Combine the use of MFA with the below password best practices:
- Choose strong passwords in all your cloud apps
- Use a business password manager to securely manage all your passwords
- Create unique passwords for all logins
#4 Employee Data Security Training
Ensure that you professionally train all your employees in proper data handling and security policies governing sensitive information. Increase their awareness about the potential security risk and how they can help to prevent any hacking attempts.
#5 Network Monitoring
Intelligent network monitoring will enable you to proactively review all access and detect strange behaviours as they happen. With AI (Artificial Intelligence), your network is monitored 24×7 without manual intervention. You can easily set the parameters to raise red flags when suspicious behaviours happen – e.g., someone downloads many files or when someone logs in from outside the country.
Get assistance to prevent malicious insider threats
Enhance your company’s protection with a comprehensive security solution designed to minimiwe risks. Do not overlook the need to assess every aspect of your cybersecurity posture. We can assist you in the thorough assessment – contact us for a consultation.
