The Top 5 Types of Insider Threat and How to Detect Them

In today's digital world, organizations face a myriad of security challenges, but one of the most insidious and often overlooked threats comes from within. Insider threats refer to the potential risks posed by individuals who have authorized access to an organization's physical or digital assets, including current and former employees, contractors, vendors, and business partners. These threats can manifest in various forms, from data breaches and intellectual property theft to sabotage of critical systems, resulting in significant financial losses, reputational damage, and legal repercussions.

There are two emerging trends related to insider threats that make this post all the more relevant.  First, the rise of remote work has expanded the attack surface, making it more challenging to monitor and control insider activities across distributed networks. Second, the increasing sophistication of social engineering tactics has made it easier for external threat actors to compromise insider credentials, blurring the lines between internal and external threats. Given these evolving dynamics, organizations must prioritize robust insider threat detection and prevention strategies to safeguard their most valuable assets and maintain operational integrity.

In this blog post, we'll explore the top 5 types of insider threats and provide insights on how to detect them effectively.

The Top 5 Types of Insider Threat and How to Detect Them

Malicious Insiders

Malicious insiders are perhaps the most dangerous type of insider threat. These individuals intentionally abuse their authorized access to harm the organization, often motivated by revenge, financial gain, or espionage.

How to detect:

• Monitor for unusual data movement, such as excessive spikes in data downloads or large amounts of data being sent outside the company.
• Look for access attempts to information unrelated to their job function.
• Watch for increased requests for escalated privileges or permissions.
• Pay attention to employees accessing systems during abnormal hours.
• Implement User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to detect anomalies in user behavior patterns.

Negligent Employees

Negligent employees unintentionally put the organization at risk through carelessness, lack of awareness, or failure to follow security policies. They account for the majority of insider threat incidents, with 56% of cases attributed to negligent or careless employees.

How to detect:

• Look for the use of unsanctioned software and hardware, also known as 'shadow IT'.
• Monitor for employees failing to apply software patches or update systems.
• Track instances of employees sharing data via unsecured locations in the cloud.
• Implement security awareness training and measure its effectiveness through simulations and assessments.
• Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to identify potential data leaks caused by negligent actions.

Compromised Accounts

Compromised accounts occur when external threat actors gain unauthorized access to legitimate user credentials, often through phishing scams or malware. These threats can be particularly challenging to detect as they appear to be normal user activity.

How to detect:

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.
• Monitor for unusual login behavior, such as logins from unfamiliar locations or devices.
• Use advanced threat detection tools that can identify anomalies in user behavior patterns.
• Regularly audit user accounts and access privileges to ensure they remain appropriate.
• Conduct frequent password audits and enforce strong password policies.

Third-party Vendors

Third-party vendors with access to an organization's systems and data can pose a significant insider threat, whether through negligence or malicious intent. These threats can be particularly challenging to manage due to limited control over the vendor's security practices.

How to detect:

• Implement strict access controls for third-party vendors, limiting their access to only necessary resources.
• Regularly audit vendor access and activity within your systems.
• Use network segmentation to isolate vendor access from critical systems and data.
• Implement continuous monitoring of vendor activities, looking for unusual patterns or access attempts.
• Conduct regular security assessments of your vendors' security practices and policies.

Departing Employees

Employees who are leaving the organization, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, can pose a significant insider threat. They may attempt to take sensitive data with them or cause damage to systems before their departure.

How to detect:

• Monitor for sudden increases in data downloads or file access, especially as an employee's departure date approaches.
• Watch for the use of external storage devices like USBs, particularly if this is unusual for the employee.
• Pay attention to employees emailing sensitive data to personal email accounts.
• Implement a formal offboarding process that includes immediate revocation of access upon an employee's departure.
• Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to prevent unauthorized data transfers during an employee's notice period.

Detecting insider threats requires a multi-faceted approach that combines technology, processes, and people, and the key to success is fostering a culture of security awareness, implementing robust monitoring and analytics tools, and maintaining clear policies and procedures for data access and handling. Regular security training, coupled with continuous monitoring and analysis of user behavior, can help organizations stay one step ahead of potential insider threats.

Remember, insider threat detection is not about fostering distrust but rather about protecting the organization's assets, reputation, and the interests of all stakeholders.