Understanding the Threats Posed by Trusted Insiders and How You Can Protect Your Most Sensitive and Important Information
In today’s interconnected world, organisations face numerous external threats to their sensitive information and systems. However, one of the most significant and often overlooked risks comes from within—trusted insiders. A trusted insider is an individual who, due to their roles and responsibilities, have access to the most critical and confidential parts of your organisation.
Trusted insiders can be employees, contractors, business partners, or anyone else with legitimate access to your organisation’s systems and data. They often possess a deep understanding of your operations, systems, and security measures, making them uniquely positioned to cause harm—whether intentionally or accidentally.
The most common type of trusted insider who causes harm are employees.Insider threats can generally be categorised into two types:
In understanding the types of insider threats, it’s helpful to understand some of the most common types of malicious acts committed by trusted insiders, these include:
The financial services, healthcare and technology sectors report higher rates of insider threats due to the sensitive nature of their data.
There can be many impacts to an organisation when an insider threat materialises and the consequences can be devastating, including:
Historically, organisations have used various IT tools to manage risks like data exfiltration. Today, many organisations still treat insider risk as an IT problem, addressed mainly with technical solutions.
A purely technical approach often overlooks the human and behavioural aspects of insider threats and often only detects the issue after the event (at best). Data exfiltration is an organisation-wide issue that needs a comprehensive strategy involving people, processes, and technology. Organisations must adopt a holistic approach to data security, addressing behavioural and cultural factors alongside technological solutions to mitigate insider risks.
A proactive insider risk program is one that is supported at the highest level, uses an organisation-wide approach acknowledging that employees are central to insider risk, and utilises both technical and non-technical solutions to manage insider risks more effectively.
Insider threats are a significant risk to most organisations, but with the right approach, they can be effectively managed and mitigated. By understanding the threats posed by trusted insiders and implementing a proactive Insider Risk Management Program that takes an organisation-wide approach, has executive sponsorship and recognises the importance of both technical and non-technical solutions you can help your organisation become more proactive in protecting your most sensitive and important information.
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