![]() ![]() Therefore, it’s important to deploy tools that continuously monitor user activity as well as aggregate and correlate activity information from multiple sources. In a 2019 SANS survey on advanced threats, more than a third of respondents admitted to lacking visibility over insider misuse. With this baseline, deviations can be flagged and investigated. Create a baseline of normal behavior for each individual user and device as well as for job function and job title. Use this data to model and assign risk scores to user behavior tied to specific events such as downloading sensitive data to removable media or a user logging in from an unusual location. These systems work by first centralizing user activity information by drawing from access, authentication, account change, endpoint and virtual private network (VPN) logs. There are many different software systems that can track insider threats. Naturally, highest priority assets should be given the highest level of protection from insider threats.Ĭreate a Baseline of Normal User and Device Behavior Understand each critical asset, rank the assets in order of priority and determine the current state of each assets protection. These include networks, systems, confidential data (including customer information, employee details, schematics and detailed strategic plans), facilities and people. Identify your organization’s critical logical and physical assets. You can protect your organization’s digital assets from an internal threat. Emailing sensitive information outside the organization.Network crawling and deliberate search for sensitive information.Using unauthorized devices such as USB drives.Repeated requests for access to system resources not relevant for their job function.Accessing data that is not relevant for their job function.Accessing resources that they usually don’t or that they are not permitted to.If someone is trying to copy large quantities of data across the network, you will see unusual spikes in network traffic. For instance, an employee who, without prompting, signs into the network at 3am may be cause for concern. Signing into enterprise applications and networks at unusual times.Contemplating resignation or discussing new opportunities.Routine violation of organizational policies.A dissatisfied or disgruntled employee, contractor, vendor or partner.There are a few different indicators of an insider threat that should be looked out for, including: ![]() For secure cyber defense against an insider threat, you have to keep an eye on anomalous behavioral and digital activity. Most threat intelligence tools focus on the analysis of network, computer and application data while giving scant attention to the actions of authorized persons who could misuse their privileged access. A goof may be a user who stores confidential customer information on their personal device, even though they know it’s against organizational policy. They are arrogant, ignorant and/or incompetent users who do not recognize the need to follow security policies and procedures. Goofs deliberately take potentially harmful actions but harbor no malicious intent. These unintentional acts could include downloading malware to their computer or disclosing confidential information to an impostor. Pawns are authorized users who have been manipulated into unintentionally acting maliciously, often through social engineering techniques such as spear phishing. The individual involved unknowingly exposes enterprise systems to external attack.Ĭareless insider threats may be pawns or goofs. They are often the result of human error, poor judgement, unintentional aiding and abetting, convenience, phishing (and other social engineering tactics), malware and stolen credentials. They can be especially dangerous because they often have privileged system access such as database administrators.Ĭareless insider security threats occur inadvertently. Lone wolves operate entirely independently and act without external manipulation or influence. ![]() The collaborator’s action would lead to the leak of confidential information or the disruption of business operations. The third party may be a competitor, nation-state, organized criminal network or an individual. Malicious insider threats may be collaborators or lone wolves.Ĭollaborators are authorized users who work with a third party to intentionally harm the organization. Examples include an employee who sells confidential data to a competitor or a disgruntled former contractor who introduces debilitating malware on the organization’s network. They intentionally abuse their privileged access to steal information or degrade systems for financial, personal and/or malicious reasons. Also referred to as a turncloak, the principal goals of malicious insider threats include espionage, fraud, intellectual property theft and sabotage.
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