What is Insider Threat Indicators? How to Mitigate Insider Threats?

‍IBM reports 71% increase in volume of attacks using valid credentials in 2023. As defenders increase their detection and prevention capabilities, attackers are finding that obtaining valid credentials is an easier route to achieving their goals, considering the alarming volume of compromised yet valid credentials available—and easily accessible—on the dark web.

Insider threats have found multiple ways to infiltrate organization’s security net. Driven by personal motivations and enabled by the rapid evolution of technology and changing hybrid work environments, there are many insider threats indicators that present a critical challenge to organizational security.

This blog provides a comprehensive idea about insider threats, and how to manage and mitigate them. Let’s dive in.

‍

What is Insider Threat ?

‍

CDSE defines insider threat as the potential for an individual to use authorized access to an organization’s assets to wittingly or unwittingly do harm. The damage from insider threats can manifest as espionage, theft, sabotage, workplace violence, or other harm to people and organization. Potential insiders include employees, contractors, vendors, suppliers, and partners—anyone to whom an organization has granted special trust and access.

To give you a brief idea, insider threats are equal to or more difficult to detect and protect than its counterpart- external threats.

‍

‍

What are Insider Threat Indicators?

Insider threat indicators are few parameters that help in detecting anomalies in a system's security measures. Insider threats can be challenging to detect as they often involve individuals with legitimate access to the organization's systems and data. However, certain behaviors and actions can serve as indicators of potential insider threats.

Here are some common insider threat indicators to watch for:

Behavioral Indicators

‍

‍#1 Unusual Work Hours:

• Accessing systems during odd hours without a legitimate reason.
• Increased activity outside normal working hours.

#2 Disgruntled Attitude:

• Expressing dissatisfaction with the organization, policies, or colleagues.
• Showing signs of stress, resentment, or hostility.

#3 Violation of Policies:

• Frequently bypassing security policies or procedures.
• Ignoring warnings or instructions from the security team.

#4 Increased Network Activity:

• Downloading or copying large amounts of data without a clear business need.
• Accessing files or systems not typically required for their role.

#5 Unauthorized Access:

• Attempting to access restricted areas or data.
• Repeatedly requesting access to sensitive information.

‍

Technical Indicators

#1 Anomalous File Access:

• Accessing files not typically associated with their job function.
• Opening or modifying files inappropriately.

#2 Data Transfers:

• Unusual data transfers to external devices or email accounts.
• Uploading sensitive data to cloud services without authorization.

#3 Use of Unauthorized Devices:

• Connecting unknown or unauthorized devices to the network.
• Using personal devices for accessing corporate resources without permission.

#4 Alteration of Logs:

• Deleting or altering security logs to cover tracks.
• Unexplained gaps in audit logs.

#5 Credential Sharing:

• Sharing login credentials with others.
• Using another employee’s credentials to access systems.

‍

What Types of Data are Most Susceptible to Insider Attacks?

‍

The types of data most at risk to insider attacks reflect both the value and accessibility of that information within an organization. Financial data is perceived as the most vulnerable, likely due to its direct monetization potential. Customer data, follows closely, pointing to concerns over the loss of personally identifiable information (PII). Employee data is also a significant concern at 37%, signalingan awareness of the risks posed by the mishandling of sensitive personnel information. It is notable that a considerable 31% believe all company-sensitive data is susceptible, reflecting a broader concern for organizational data security.

Proactive measures such as data access controls, encryption, and employee training can mitigate the risk of insider attacks and threats to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Measures are an option anymore, they are a must as insider threats reports significant data theft and extortion using customer sensitive data.

‍

‍

What are the Main Drivers and Enablers Behind the increase in Insider Attacks?

‍

Understanding the main drivers behind the observed escalation in insider attacks helps organizations to tailor their defensive strategies more effectively and address the root causes. The main drivers and the corresponding data indicating how much percentage it drives are highlighted below:

Lack of training and awareness accounts for majority of insider threat attacks, this simply means cybersecurity programs in organizations are not effective enough as it was thought previously. The rise of technology stack and the relevant data access policies and inadequate security measures gives a holistic view of the missing parts in most organization’s data governance strategy.

‍

‍

54% of organizations report their insider threat management to be ineffective. Such data highlights rising concerns about threat detection capabilities and anomaly alerting of organizations. Weaker threat detection increases the blast radius to a much more greater extent.

‍

What are the Current Trends in Insider Threat Landscape?

‍

Insider threats represent a significant and evolving challenge for organizations. It is critically important to understand the most prevalent types of insider threats to best align defensive strategies and programs for effective insider threat management.

Survey data indicates a shift in the perception of insider threats over the last 5 years. There has been a marked increase in concern for malicious insiders, rising from 60% in 2019 to 74% in 2024, indicating a heightened awareness or experience of intentional insider attacks. However, concerns about inadvertentinsider incidents have slightly decreased from 71% in 2019 to 63% in 2024, perhaps indicating improved training, awareness, policy, and technological safeguards within some organizations or across some sectors.

Organizations should continue to enhance their strategies against malicious insiders by investing in advanced behavioral analytics and insider threat detection systems. It’s also crucial to emphasize employee training and maintain a culture of security awareness to prevent inadvertent and negligent incidents.

‍

Steps to Manage Insider Threats

‍

Insider threat attacks can be managed, when the right type of access controls, security policies and threat detection are in place. Below are few of the steps that can be followed to mitigate insider threats:

‍

#1 Establish a Comprehensive Insider Threat Program

• Develop policies and procedures to identify, manage, and mitigate insider threats.
• Define roles and responsibilities for monitoring and responding to insider threats.

‍

#2 Implement Access Control Measures

• Use attribute-based access control (ABAC) to ensure employees have the minimum necessary access.
• Regularly review and update access permissions to reflect changes in roles and responsibilities.

‍

#3 Monitor and Detect Anomalies

• Implement continuous monitoring to detect unusual behavior or anomalies in data access and usage.
• Use advanced analytics and machine learning to identify patterns indicative of insider threats.

‍

#4 Threat Reporting and Response

• Establish a reporting mechanism for employees to report suspicious activities.
• Develop an incident response plan to quickly and effectively address insider threats when they occur.

‍

#5 Assess and Quantify Risks

• Regularly assess the organization’s risk posture and quantify the impact of potential insider threats.
• Use metrics such as breach index percentage and cyber risk quantification to prioritize mitigation efforts.

‍

#6 Educate and Train Employees

• Conduct regular training sessions to educate employees about insider threats and their role in preventing them.
• Promote a culture of security awareness and encourage vigilance.

‍

Using OptIQ Data Security Platform to Manage Insider Threats

‍

OptIQ Data Security Platform can help you understand indicators of insider threat and how to manage them using the following features:

‍

#1 Access Permissions

OptIQ Data Security platform uses attribute-based access control (ABAC) to manage user permissions:

• Attribute-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensures that employees only have access to the data necessary for their roles, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
• Regular Access Reviews: Periodically review and update access permissions to reflect changes in roles and responsibilities, ensuring that access levels remain appropriate.

‍

#2 Anomaly Detection

OptIQ employs advanced analytics and machine learning to monitor data access and usage patterns:

• Continuous Monitoring: Tracks user activities in real-time to detect anomalies such as unusual login times, data access spikes, or unauthorized data transfers.
• Behavioral Analytics: Uses machine learning to identify patterns and behaviors that deviate from the norm, flagging potential insider threats for further investigation.

‍

#3 Threat Reporting

OptIQ provides robust threat reporting capabilities:

• Automated Alerts: Generates real-time alerts for suspicious activities, enabling quick response to potential threats.
• User Reports: Allows employees to report suspicious activities anonymously, fostering a proactive security culture.

‍

#4 Breach Index Percentage

OptIQ calculates a breach index percentage to quantify the likelihood and potential impact of insider threats:

• Risk Scoring: Assigns a risk score to users based on their behavior and access levels, helping to prioritize monitoring and response efforts.
• Impact Assessment: Evaluates the potential damage of a breach, enabling better resource allocation for threat mitigation.

‍

#5 Cyber Risk Quantification

OptIQ provides comprehensive cyber risk quantification to give a holistic view of insider threats:

• Quantitative Analysis: Uses quantitative metrics to assess the overall risk posed by insider threats, considering factors such as data sensitivity, user behavior, and historical incidents.
• Holistic Risk Management: Integrates risk quantification into the broader risk management strategy, ensuring a balanced approach to insider threat mitigation.

To understand more about OptIQ Data Security Platform and how we can aid in your insider threat management, schedule a personalized demo.