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Insider Threat
What is an Insider Threat?
What is an Insider Threat?In cybersecurity, an Insider Threat refers to the risk that an individual with authorized access to an organization’s resources or systems may intentionally or unintentionally misuse their access to cause harm to the organization. This harm can manifest in various ways, including data breaches, cyberattacks, or security compromises.
Here’s More Detail
- Authorized Access: These threats arise because the individuals involved have legitimate access to the organization’s data, systems, or facilities, such as employees, contractors, or vendors.
- Misuse of Access: The threat actor intentionally or unintentionally uses their authorized access for malicious purposes, such as stealing data, sabotaging systems, or exposing sensitive information.
- Intention vs. Negligence: They can be intentional, driven by malicious intent (e.g., revenge, espionage), or unintentional, resulting from negligence or poor security practices.
- Vulnerability: These threats are particularly dangerous because they exploit the trust that organizations have placed in their internal users.
Examples:
Insider threats can range from disgruntled employees (Hacktivist) seeking to harm the company to contractors unintentionally sharing sensitive information, or even malicious insiders using their access for their own gain.
Why are insider threats a significant concern?
- Difficulty in Detection: Identifying these threats can be challenging because they often operate within the organization’s security perimeter, making them harder to detect compared to external cyberattacks.
- Potential for Extensive Damage: Insider threats can potentially cause widespread damage, impacting an organization’s reputation, financial stability, and operational integrity.
- Importance of Prevention: Organizations need to implement robust security measures and employee awareness programs to mitigate the risk of insider threats.
Definitions
An entity with authorized access that has the potential to harm an information system through destruction, disclosure, modification of data, and/or denial of service.
SOURCE: SP 800-32
CISA (.gov)
https://www.cisa.govnavigate to › topics › insider-threat-mitigation
The potential for an insider to use their authorized access or understanding of an organization to harm that organization.
