SBN

What are Insider Threats in Cybersecurity?

What are Insider Threats in Cybersecurity?

Finger pointing at screen with the words insider threat

An Insider Threat in cybersecurity occurs when someone who has access chooses to or gets tricked into using that access to harm your company.

Insider Threats in cybersecurity can be employees, contractors, vendors, or visitors, and their intent can be either intentional or accidental.

An example scenario where this might happen is in the healthcare industry. Medical providers often need to move information about patients across poorly integrated systems. Wanting to get their job done, the provider might decide to circumvent technology tools and plug in a USB drive to help speed things up. This USB drive might then extract sensitive information and provide it to others who do not need it.

Another example of USB risks is when a vendor or service provider needs to perform maintenance on specialized medical equipment. They use a USB to transfer essential configuration files, which leads to sharing malware acquired from previous clients. Triggers that may warrant additional focus include employment actions, including resignation, termination, job transfer, or the individual becoming disgruntled or unhappy with their working conditions.

Three resources you can use to learn more about Insider Threats.

So now that you know about Insider Threats, how can you treat this ever-present risk?

If you want to reduce the likelihood of Insider Threats in your company, you need to plan for this risk in advance.

Specific steps include:

Considering and ultimately taking action on Insider Threats will enable you to Get Wisdom as Cheaply as You Can.

And it applies whether you are a seasoned cyber professional, you are new to your cyber professional role, or you are wondering what rattles around in the mind of a cybersecurity professional.

What are you doing to reduce Insider Risk in your company? Share with us in the comments section below.

Please subscribe to our email list to get notified of what is happening in our community!

The post What are Insider Threats in Cybersecurity? appeared first on Security Ever After – CISO.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Security Ever After – CISO authored by Russell. Read the original post at: https://securityeverafter.com/what-are-insider-threats-in-cybersecurity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-are-insider-threats-in-cybersecurity