What is an Insider Threat?

We have seen a rise in cyber attacks in which data breach by insiders is the major cyber attack. In the 2019 SANS report, experts identified significant gaps in insider threat defense due to the lack of visibility into user behavior and management of privileged user accounts. It has created a way for cyber attacks by insiders. In this comprehensive blog, we will discuss what an insider threat is.

Insider threat is a security risk originating from the malicious activity against the organization. The users with legitimate access to the confidential information and database misuse it accidentally or deliberately. Such users can be former employees, current employees, or third-party partners who target the organization to perform cyber attacks.

Insider threats can cause data breaches using loopholes in an organization’s policies, procedures, and security strategies. They develop a vulnerability before leaving the organization, allowing hackers to exploit it.

As per the statistics, insider attacks are costlier than external threats to the organization. Researchers from Ponemon Institute say that the average annual cost for internal data breaches is around $11.45 million, in which 63% of data breach cases happen due to negligence.

Insider threats are categorized into five types and vary based on the motive, intention, access level, and awareness of the organization’s security protocol. The following are the different types of insider threats:

Collaborators coordinate with the organization’s competitors to attempt a cyber threat. They use legitimate access as employees to steal confidential information and intellectual assets to disrupt business operations for financial or personal gain.

Goofs are arrogant users who believe they are excluded from the organization’s security policies and conveniently try to compromise the security controls. They intentionally create an attack surface with a vulnerability to provide attackers with easy access to the organization’s data. According to Gartner’s report, 90% of insider incidents are caused by goofs.

The lone wolf is the independent malicious insider with a high level of privileged access to the network and system. They perform cyber threats for financial gain without external influence or manipulation. The lone wolf is more dangerous than other types of insiders.

A mole is an outsider who has gained insider access to the organization’s system and attempts to perform cyber attacks. These outsiders can be partners, contractors, or former employees who used to have privileged access to the organization’s data.

Pawns are authorized employees manipulated to perform malicious activities inside the organization. They perform social engineering attacks, such as downloading malware or disclosing credentials to attackers unintentionally.

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