Threat Research Insider Threat
As organizations continue to face evolving cybersecurity challenges, the importance of an insider threat program has never been greater. With insider threats accounting for a significant portion of security breaches, having a robust program in place is essential for protecting sensitive data and mitigating risks.
In this guide, we’ll explore the critical elements of an insider risk program, its benefits, and best practices for implementation. We’ll also highlight how predictive analytics and tools like User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) can enhance your approach.
An insider threat program is a comprehensive strategy designed to identify, monitor, and mitigate risks posed by individuals within an organization—such as employees, contractors, or partners—who may intentionally or unintentionally compromise security.
By leveraging tools like behavioral analytics and focusing on risk indicators, organizations can proactively detect and address threats before they escalate. This approach also aligns with the goals of an insider risk program, which extends beyond threat detection to include long-term insider risk management.
Over 52% of organizations reveal they do not have the tools to confidently handle insider threats today according to the 2024 Insider Threat Report by Cybersecurity Insiders. The absence of an insider threat program can leave organizations vulnerable to unauthorized transfer of sensitive data through data exfiltration, undetected deviations from typical user activity through anomalous behavior and privileged access misuse when trusted individuals abuse access rights. According to a 2023 report by the Ponemon Institute, the average annual cost of insider threats has risen to $16.2 million per organization, marking a 40% increase over four years.
A well-designed insider risk program addresses these vulnerabilities by integrating advanced technologies like UEBA and prioritizing security governance within a robust cybersecurity strategy so you can learn how to respond to insider threats.
Implementing a successful insider threat program begins with identifying and involving the right stakeholders. This process ensures cross-functional alignment and fosters a culture of security without diminishing trust. Stakeholders should include representatives from HR, IT, legal, operations, and security teams. These groups bring unique insights into employee behavior, legal compliance, and operational risks.
Why Stakeholder Engagement is Crucial:
Steps to Engage Stakeholders Effectively:
Indicators of insider threats are far different from the indicators of compromise of external cyber-attacks. In an external attack, you would look for things like communication with known malicious URLs and domain names that were just recently created. Insiders don’t use those sorts of tactics to execute their bad behavior. Instead, you might look for behavioral conditions like:
1) Everyone has administrative privileges or access to information they do not need
Your sales representatives don’t need access to the data visualization tools or programming files used by your data scientists. In addition, your marketing department doesn’t need access to company financial records. Identify the most critical documents and assets at your company and take the steps necessary to add extra security authentication.
2) You’re not monitoring user and entity behavior in real time
A strong User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) platform uses machine learning to detect risky behavior anomalies. For example, if someone who logs in Monday through Friday at 9 AM suddenly logs in on Saturday night at 10 PM, there will be an alert. Behavior for devices and users is captured over time and anything that deviates from a baseline activity is considered unusual. Taking peer group analytics into consideration further determines whether this unusual behavior is not just anomalous but also risky. Finding an insider attack after-the-fact is not helpful. Detecting and preventing insider threats before data exfiltration is key.
3) You have no system in place for handling disgruntled, laid-off, and/or terminated employees
Your Human Resources department should have a plan in place for handling employee terminations, lay-offs, and behavioral issues. For example, a former employee, who was laid off, is airing his grievances on the company’s social media channels. It’s exhausting and the comments are inappropriate. A non-disparagement agreement protects your company from the publication of derogatory and false statements. Similarly, a system for handling terminated or disciplined employees, like eliminating privileged access upon the first written warning, will limit risky behavior from happening.
4) Employees don’t have insider threat awareness training
Above all, train employees to understand and report risky insider behavior. Is your coworker seeking access to proprietary or classified information on topics unrelated to their job duties? Is someone removing company or customer data from the premises for unauthorized reasons? Teach your employees that if they see something, that might be a potential insider threat say something.
5) You are not considering the third-party insider threat
Imagine you have a third-party vendor helping you write technical content about your products. They work remotely and collaborate on projects with your internal team by accessing the main marketing folder in the cloud. Out of the 12 sub-folders, one contains the company’s annual marketing report for the previous year. The only sub-folder the vendor needs to access is one titled “Technical Writing Content”, yet they have access to them all. Your marketing results can be downloaded and traded with a competitor in the click of a button. Prevent third-party data breaches by implementing a plan to limit the amount of information contractors and third parties get access to.
Predictive analytics powered by UEBA tools transforms insider threat prevention and insider threat challenges by:
Solutions like Gurucul’s REVEAL platform combine these capabilities to deliver unparalleled visibility and control in internal threat detection. Additionally, creating a zero trust insider threat program can strengthen your resolve.
An effective insider risk program is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity. By integrating behavioral analytics, predictive analytics, and robust monitoring tools, your organization can stay ahead of potential threats and ensure long-term resilience.
Gurucul uses an advanced User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) platform, with machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect anomalies and risky behaviors in real-time. By continuously monitoring and analyzing user activity, access patterns, and contextual data, Gurucul identifies potential insider threats before they can escalate into serious security incidents.
Gurucul can correlate disparate data sources and provide actionable insights ensures that organizations can respond quickly and effectively to suspicious behavior. Gurucul’s customizable risk scoring and predictive analytics empower security teams to prioritize threats and mitigate risks proactively, making it a powerful solution for safeguarding sensitive data and assets from malicious or negligent insiders.
Ready to enhance your insider risk program? Explore how Gurucul’s solutions can safeguard your organization.
