Insider threat Management
Insider Threat Management​
Insider threats, also known as “privilege threats,” arise when an individual with malicious intent gains access to password-protected system data. This individual may be an employee, but not necessarily so; anyone with authorised credentials, including business partners or vendors, can pose an insider threat.
Organisations can implement some basic safeguards to mitigate insider threats. It remains best practice to structure security groups such that only a select few, highly trustworthy accounts have data modification access. Additionally, robust password policies should be implemented. However, even with the most robust security group structures, insider threats can remain a persistent concern for systems. Whilst steps can be taken to make login credentials as sophisticated as possible, password compromise can still occur, even in the most security-conscious businesses.
Importance of Insider Threat Management
Insider threat management is essential for safeguarding sensitive business data. Many businesses focus their security efforts on preventing external cyberattacks, which entails protecting business credentials from hackers. However, to more effectively safeguard sensitive business information, organisations must also ensure that authorised users do not misuse account credentials.
A multitude of employees and associates may possess authorised credentials, including former employees, IT specialists, vendors, and business partners. Depending on their permission levels, these individuals may have unfettered access to important data.
Regardless of the reason behind malicious activity, it is crucial to have immediate insight into potentially harmful changes. Insider threat management allows for more effective tracking of credential misuse and proactive changes to credential settings, thereby helping to prevent threats.
Insider threat management is also crucial if your organisation needs to maintain audit logs to demonstrate compliance. Measures must be taken to prevent insider threats and maintain an audit trail of user activity to comply with common industry standards, such as HIPAA and PCI DSS.
The Blind Spots of Security Detection
As insider threats are perpetrated, in part or entirely, by fully credentialed users, and sometimes by privileged users, it can be particularly challenging to differentiate between careless or malicious insider threat indicators or behaviours from regular user actions and behaviours. According to one study, security teams take an average of 85 days to detect and contain an insider threat, with some threats remaining undetected for years.
Strategies for Improved Detection, Containment, and Prevention
Security teams rely on a combination of practices and technologies to better detect, contain, and prevent insider threats. Here’s an overview of these methods:
Employee and User Training
Continuously training all authorised users on security policy (e.g., password hygiene, proper handling of sensitive data, and reporting lost devices) and security awareness (e.g., how to recognise phishing scams and how to properly route requests for system access or sensitive data) can help reduce the risk of negligent insider threats. Training can also lessen the overall impact of threats. For instance, according to the Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, the average cost of a data breach at companies with employee training was USD 232,867 less, or 5.2% less than the overall average cost of a breach.
Offensive Security
Offensive Security (OffSec) uses adversarial tactics, the same tactics that malicious actors use in real-world attacks, to fortify network security rather than compromise it. Offensive security is typically conducted by ethical hackers, cybersecurity professionals who use hacking skills to detect and fix not only IT system flaws but also security risks and vulnerabilities in the way users respond to attacks. Offensive security measures that can help strengthen insider threat programs include phishing simulations and red teaming, where a team of ethical hackers launch a simulated, goal-oriented cyberattack
User Behaviour Analytics (UBA)
UBA applies advanced data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to model baseline user behaviours and detect abnormalities that can indicate emerging or ongoing cyber threats, including potential insider threats. A closely related technology, User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA), expands these capabilities to detect abnormal behaviours in Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other endpoint devices. UBA is frequently used in conjunction with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), which collects, correlates, and analyses security-related data from across the organisation.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM focuses on managing user identities, authentication, and access permissions in a way that ensures the right users and devices can access the right resources for the right reasons at the right time. Privileged Access Management (PAM), a subdiscipline of IAM, focuses on finer-grained control over access privileges granted to users, applications, administrative accounts, and devices. A critical IAM function for preventing insider attacks is identity lifecycle management. Examples of identity lifecycle management actions that can reduce the risk of insider threats include limiting the permissions of a departing disgruntled employee or immediately deactivating accounts of users who have left the company.