How To Flip the Script on the Latest Insider Threat Trends

By Craig Cooper, Senior Vice President of Customer Success, Gurucul

Insider threats have become a massive issue for organizations today, with 48% reporting that insider attacks have become more frequent over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by Gurucul and Cybersecurity Insiders. The growing complexity of systems and the introduction of new technologies, such as AI, have intensified these challenges and broadened the associated risks.

Insider attacks can be malicious or accidental, but regardless of the origin, they can cause significant havoc for today's organizations. In the report, just over half of the respondents indicated that they lack the tools to manage insider threats confidently. The issue isn’t going away; organizations must put a strong insider threat strategy into place to address significant security risks effectively.

The Harsh Reality of Insider Threats

Insider threats run the gamut, from an employee clicking on a phishing link in an email to a former employee attempting to inflict retaliatory damage as a malicious actor using legitimate employee credentials to infiltrate an organization.

In the report, 83% of respondents said their organization had experienced at least one insider attack in the past 12 months, while 51% said they'd experienced six or more attacks. The average remediation cost exceeded $1 million for 29% of respondents.

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In the past, organizations focused on building a hard shell around themselves to protect everything from bad outside actors. But over the last several years, everything’s moved to the cloud, so that strategy no longer works.  There are no barriers; the physical perimeter no longer exists.

About a third (32%) of those surveyed cited a lack of training and awareness among employees as a driver for the rise of insider incidents; 31% also cited weak enforcement policies, including a lack of consequences and insufficient monitoring. Most organizations recognize insider threats as a significant vulnerability and don't feel they have the right processes or tools to manage them.

What a Robust Insider Threat Program Needs

A successful insider threat strategy requires unified visibility and control, context, and access management.

Unified visibility and control

 To effectively detect and manage insider threats, organizations must prioritize visibility and control across their systems in both on-premises and cloud environments. This involves implementing comprehensive monitoring tools that track user behavior, access patterns, and data interactions in real time. Organizations that use behavior analytics can understand normal activities and quickly identify deviations that may signal potential threats. Additionally, robust control mechanisms allow organizations to respond promptly to suspicious actions, mitigating risks before they escalate. These controls should include access management and continuous user activity monitoring to prevent potential incidents. These controls allow for the early detection of unusual behavior, enabling an organization to respond swiftly and mitigate risks. Clear incident response protocols should be established to ensure staff is prepared to recognize and report suspicious activities. Ultimately, enhanced visibility and control are essential for building a proactive security posture and protecting sensitive information from internal vulnerabilities.

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Context

When it comes to insider threats, context is king. Context is crucial for detecting insider threats because it provides the necessary background to assess behaviors and actions accurately. Without context, seemingly benign activities may be misinterpreted, leading to false positives or, worse, false negatives. Insider threat is a different craft. It's unlike a SIEM, where you get an alert and can quickly take action. Insider threats typically require more investigation and digging because it’s not black and white. Understanding the specific circumstances—such as an employee's role, access levels, recent changes in behavior, motivating factors, and historical data—allows investigators to differentiate between normal and suspicious activity.  Leveraging context enhances the ability to detect insider threats more accurately and efficiently, reducing the likelihood of overlooking genuine risks.

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Access management

Most insider threat programs overlook access, but access management is key. It’s important to understand and continually evaluate what employees have access to, what they need access to, and how long they need access.  In simple terms, if you don't have access to something, you can't take it. Even if you're negligent, you pose no risk to an asset you cannot access.

Improving the Culture

Security tools can play a big role when they help with the above factors, but training and awareness are also essential components of any insider threat program. Security is about more than just tools. The No. 1 vulnerability in any organization is the human (insider). 

Most insider risk is accidental or due to negligence, lack of training, and poor practices. Insider threat programs must account for this and put strong training into place. Companies should establish the right controls to prevent these threats, including regular training on effective security practices and strategies to avoid insider risks such as phishing attacks.

Understanding human motivation helps security teams understand why someone might act maliciously. Whether due to personal grievances, financial gain, or external pressures, recognizing these motivations helps an organization anticipate potential insider threats and allows the security team to tailor their prevention strategies accordingly. This knowledge enables more effective monitoring of at-risk individuals, fostering a proactive approach to identifying warning signs before malicious actions occur. Additionally, understanding motivations can aid in developing targeted training and support programs that address underlying issues, thereby enhancing the organization’s overall security.

Flip the Insider Threat Script

Insider threats continue to be a significant challenge for organizations. Whether these incidents are accidental or malicious, they can have a major impact, putting the organization at risk of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cybersecurity incidents. As the traditional perimeter has disappeared, so have many of the traditional guard rails companies had in place, and organizations need to ensure they have a firm plan in place to account for insider threats. This plan must include unified visibility and control, context, and access management with a cyber-aware culture and motivation-aware policies.

About the Author

Craig Cooper is Senior Vice President of Customer Success at Gurucul.