Insider Threats — Addressing the Human Factor
When businesses think about cybersecurity risks, they often focus on external threats. However, one of the most overlooked yet significant risks comes from within—insider threats. Whether intentional or accidental, employees, contractors, or business partners with access to company systems and data can be a security risk if proper safeguards aren’t in place.
Creating a culture of security awareness, where employees understand their role in protecting company assets, and ensuring that leadership leads by example, are key strategies in minimizing insider threats. Let’s break down what insider threats are, how they impact businesses, and the steps organizations can take to strengthen security from the inside out.
What Are Insider Threats?
An insider threat occurs when someone within the organization misuses their access to data or systems, either intentionally or unintentionally, resulting in security breaches, financial losses, or reputational damage. These threats generally fall into three categories:
1. Intentional Insiders
These individuals intentionally compromise security by stealing data, leaking confidential information, or sabotaging systems for personal gain, revenge, or financial incentives.
Example: An employee planning to leave the company downloads client databases to use at a competing business.
2. Accidental Insiders
These threats arise when employees unknowingly put the company at risk due to carelessness or lack of awareness. This includes falling for phishing scams, mishandling sensitive information, or using weak passwords.
Example: An employee accidentally sends payroll details to the wrong recipient, exposing sensitive financial data.
3. Negligent Insiders
Arises when an employee unintentionally compromises an organization’s cybersecurity due to carelessness, lack of awareness, or failure to follow security protocols.
Example: Reusing passwords or failing to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), making it easier for hackers to gain access.
Building a Culture of Security Awareness
A security-aware workforce is one of the strongest defenses against insider threats. Employees should not only be trained on security best practices but also feel personally invested in protecting company data.
1. Make Security Training Engaging & Practical
Security awareness training should be ongoing, interactive, and tailored to real-world scenarios employees encounter daily.
Best Practices:
Conduct phishing simulations to test employees’ ability to recognize scams
Provide role-specific cybersecurity training (e.g., finance teams should learn about fraud prevention)
Offer bite-sized training sessions instead of overwhelming employees with lengthy courses
2. Leverage Insider Threat Detection Tools
Businesses can use technology to monitor and detect suspicious behavior before it turns into a security incident.
Affordable Security Tools for SMBs:
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint – Identifies unusual user behavior and potential data leaks
Proofpoint Essentials – Affordable email security with phishing protection and threat detection.
3. Establish Clear Security Policies
Companies must clearly define and communicate security policies, so employees understand their responsibilities and expectations.
Key Policies to Implement:
Rules on acceptable use of company data and devices
Requirements for password management and MFA
Incident reporting procedures for suspected security threats
Article by: Micayla Wynn-bell
