DON’T GIVE INSIDER THREATS A VIP PASS TO THE SABOTAGE SHOW

IT experts Highlander highlight the risks of cyber sabotage from someone on the inside…

Highlander are huge advocates of businesses taking every step they can to keep their data safe. After all, it’s one of your most valuable assets, and is crucial to preserving the longevity of your business. But while many organisations are already switched on to the risks that emerge outside of their business, another source of cyber risk is often overlooked – the threats posed by those inside your organisation.

The idea of an insider threat might seem like a sabotage story founded in fiction, but the risks are very real and can impact your business just as negatively as any of the well-known external attacks you might already be aware of.

Insider threats are often overlooked by businesses despite being a real source of cyber risk that can be just as detrimental as external attacks. Insider threats refer to security threats that originate from within an organization, which could be employees, former employees, contractors, or trusted third-party associates who have access to the organisation's data, personnel, and systems.

The instigators of insider threats can be categorised into two groups: malicious and accidental. Malicious are those who intentionally seek to damage their organisation, while accidental are the result of employee negligence and inadvertent errors. Accidental insider threats include mistakenly sending an email to the wrong person, downloading corporate files on personal devices, or clicking on a malicious link from a spoof email.

Insider threats can have significant financial and reputational implications. There are additional costs for remediation, such as paying a ransom from a ransomware attack, compensation resulting from a data breach, and the loss of critical data or confidential information. Data breaches and cyber attacks that result from insider threats can also cause reputational damage, eroding trust with partners, customers, and suppliers.

Organisations can take steps to reduce the likelihood of insider threats emerging. For instance, a strict employee offboarding policy where corporate devices are recovered and access to systems immediately revoked reduces the risks from former employees. Deploying appropriate access management can also help to prevent both malicious and inadvertent data exposure.

There are also tools, such as Microsoft Purview, that can help manage and reduce insider risk. Purview enables businesses to conduct an evaluation of potential risks and use machine learning templates to identify new risks earlier and respond faster.

Effective user awareness training is also a valuable tool in tackling inadvertent insider threats. Using a product like KnowBe4 teaches employees how to detect a potential security breach and empowers users with the confidence to act as a first line of defence.

In conclusion, businesses need to be vigilant about insider threats to safeguard their data and intellectual property. Taking proactive steps to prevent insider threats can go a long way in reducing financial and reputational damage resulting from data breaches and cyber-attacks.

If you’re looking to reduce the risk of insider threats in your business, or want to learn more about the tactics or tools above, please get in touch with one of the Highlander team.

Visit www.highlanderuk. com or call 0114 292 3800