How to Prevent Insider Threats - Cyber Security Tips

Recently, news about insider threats cyber security has increasingly appeared not on thematic IT resources but in financial publications. And this is not surprising because, with the development of modern security systems, it is much easier for attackers to obtain the necessary data from people with authorized access to them than to hack internal security systems. The current insider threats statistics demonstrate this trend, frightening users with a critical 60% of insider leaks, which has increased by 50% compared to 2018.

However, MBS Techservices has good news as well. Unlike malicious attacks using the latest tools, you can easily prevent most insider threats in cyber security with the advice and help of our experienced experts. We also can recomment software-based solutions, such as IBM QRadar, which can provide a great protection against these threats.

What is Insider Threats Cyber Security 

Let's talk about insider threats definition in the context of cyber security. They are malicious activities against a company or business, coming from employees or people inside – insiders or contractors who have authorized access to internal network resources, applications, software, or databases. It can be industrial espionage, but also fraud and sabotage carried out on-site or remotely.

There are many types and examples of insider threats that can be divided into several categories:

• Malicious ones are carried out by employees or contractors knowingly for a personal purpose, such as stealing data to sell to competitors, avenging a personal injury, or gaining promotion by compromising colleagues.
• Negligent, which occurs due to non-compliance with elementary cyber security requirements, such as using the same "light" passwords or disclosing personal data.
• Compromised, resulting from malware infection from outside or from pass-the-hash attacks – for example, after interacting with phishing resources.

How to Prevent Insider Threats

Like many other risks associated with malicious activities, insider threats cyber security is always easier and more competent to prevent in advance. Moreover, this is due not only to the possible loss of essential data but also to the destruction of internal protection, the renewal of which may require a lot of time and money.

Cyber security is not only about technical support and the fight against malware but also about the observance of elementary precautions available to everyone.

Train Your Employees

Organize training courses, conducting regular training sessions. Explain to your employees how to detect insider threats and what to do with risk information. Training should include both theory and practice in which you can demonstrate how to respond to and avoid danger. For example, you can send out internal phishing emails to identify the most vulnerable spots and users who need to be educated and protected first.

Assign a Person Responsible for Insider Threats Security

It has long been proven that the separation of powers has a beneficial effect on work efficiency. Therefore, creating a separate response team or the involvement of insider threats cyber security specialists will be a better solution than the additional burden on busy IT specialists and managers. So, everyone will be able to focus on their tasks and perform work more efficiently, identifying risks and preventing them promptly.

Perform User Behavioral Analytics

It can be either standard control over behavior on the internal network or the Internet, carried out by in-site IT managers, or full-fledged user behavior analytics (UBA) using specialized platforms. The main advantage of this method is the ability to detect malicious insider threats and prevent risks long before compromised insiders access intruders to critical systems or transfer all critical data.

Engage Cybersecurity Experts

The help of invited cyber security experts on industrial espionage and insider threats prevention is often the most valuable, as they:

• do not need additional training;
• have a wide range of practical tools;
• can offer a comprehensive approach that simultaneously provides high-quality support at many organization levels.

Besides, professional consultants can also offer ready-made training programs for employees or quickly create new ones following corporate needs. Unlike newly appointed in-site specialists, well-experienced experts know exactly WHAT they are looking for and WHERE vulnerabilities can be located.

In Conclusion Or …

…why are insider threats particularly dangerous for organizations?

The most frustrating thing about insider threats is that even with the newest and most powerful built-in cyber security, you can be harmed because attackers will access them without being hacked. That is why the MBS Techservices team always focuses not on how to mitigate insider threats or minimize their negative impact but on ways to respond and prevent them on time. We know everything about current cyber threats and industrial espionage so that we can offer the broadest range of preventive measures and reliable data protection. Our experts provide an integrated approach, including both analytics and technical support, as well as training employees at all levels. Let insider threats cyber security remain for you just one of the blog discussions, not a real precedent.