Blog Insider Threats are Getting More Dangerous - here's how to stop them

One of the most difficult types of attacks to detect are those performed by insiders. An “insider” would be anyone with legitimate access to your company network and data. This would be via a login or other authorised connection.

Because insiders have authorised system access, they bypass certain security defences auch as those designed to keep intruders out. Since a logged-in user isn’t seen as an intruder, those security protections aren’t triggered.

There are three troubling statistics from a recent report by Ponemon Institute that illustrate the importance of addressing this threat. Insider attacks are getting worse, taking longer to detect and becoming more extensive.

The report found that over the last two years:

Insider attacks have increased by 44%
It takes organisations 85 days to contain an insider threat, compared to 77 days in 2020.
The average cost of addressing insider threats has risen by 34%

Companies need to understand what makes up an insider threat. That’s the first step towards mitigation.

4 Types of Insider Threats

One reason that insider threats can be hard to detect is that there’s not just one kind. Employees, vendors, and hackers can all perpetrate insider security breaches. To further complicate detection, some may be malicious, and others accidental.

Here are the four main types of insider threats faced by company networks.

Malicious/Disgruntled Employee

A sales employee that is leaving the company may decide to take all their contacts with them. This is a malicious theft of company data.

Another example of this type of insider attack is a disgruntled employee. They may be upset with their manager who just fired them and decide to do the business harm. They could plant ransomware or make a deal with a hacker to give over their login credentials for cash.

Careless/Negligent Employee

Some insider threats are due to untrained employees. They don’t mean to cause a data breach but may accidentally share classified data on a non-secure platform. Or they may use a friend’s computer to access their business apps being completely unaware of the security consequences.

3rd Party with Access to Your Systems

Outsiders with access to your network are also a very real concern. Contractors, freelancers, and vendors can all constitute an insider breach risk.

You need to ensure that these third parties are fully reviewed. Do this before you give them system access. You should also allow your IT partner to review them for any data security concerns.

Hacker That Compromises a Password

Compromised login credentials are one of the most dangerous types of insider threats. This has now become the #1 driver of data breaches around the world.

When a cybercriminal can access an employee’s login, that criminal becomes an “insider.” Your computer system reads them as a legitimate user.

Ways to Mitigate Insider Threats

Insider threats can be difficult to detect after the fact. But if you put mitigation measures in place, you can stop them in their tracks. Being proactive keeps you from suffering a costly incident. One that you may not know about for months.

Here are some of the best tactics for reducing insider threat risk.

Thorough Background Checks

When hiring new employees, make sure you do a thorough background check. Malicious insiders will typically have red flags in their work history. You want to do the same with any vendors or contractors with access to your systems.

Endpoint Device Solutions

Mobile devices now make up about 60% of the endpoints in a company. But many businesses aren’t using a solution to manage device access to resources.

Put an endpoint management solution in place to monitor device access. You can also use this to safelist devices and block unauthorised devices by default

Multi-factor Authentication & Password Security

One of the best ways to fight credential theft is through multi-factor authentication. Hackers have a hard time getting past the 2nd factor. They rarely have access to a person’s mobile device or another security authenticator.

Couple this with password security. This includes things like:

Requiring strong passwords in your cloud apps
Using a business password manager
Requiring unique passwords for all logins

Employee Data Security Training

Training can help you mitigate the risk of a breach through carelessness. Train employees on proper data handling and security policies governing sensitive information.

Network Monitoring

Once someone has user access to your system, how can you catch them doing something wrong? You do this through intelligent network monitoring.

Use AI-enabled threat monitoring. This allows you to detect strange behaviours as soon as they happen. For example, someone downloading a large number of files, or someone logging in from outside the country.

Need Help Putting a Stop to Insider Attacks?

A layered security solution can help you mitigate all four types of insider threats. We can help you with a robust yet affordable solution. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Do you need the best IT Support and Maintenance for your business?

You need the best IT support in London. Technology is complicated and expensive. It’s so hard to maintain everything and know what to do when something breaks or goes wrong. IT problems can put a damper on your day. They’re frustrating, time-consuming, and seem like a never-ending cycle of issues.

Why you should choose Penntech IT Solutions

Customer Satisfaction Levels/NPS Score

Penntech’s average NPS score over 90 days is 84. The average Net Promoter Score (NPS) for IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can vary. Still, an NPS of around 50 is considered excellent in this industry, with scores above 70 exceptional and rare.

No lengthy contract tie-ins and a trial period

We offer our services on a trial basis for the first three months because we’re confident in our delivery and approach.

Comprehensive 24/7 IT Support

Penntech offers a wide range of IT services, from strategic project management to 24/7 remote support, ensuring all your IT needs are always covered.

Cybersecurity Expertise

We provide advanced cybersecurity measures and expertise, including penetration testing services and Cyber Essentials, to protect clients from cyber threats.

Scalability

We offer Clients the ability to scale IT services up or down based on their needs. This flexibility is crucial for businesses that experience seasonal changes or rapid growth.

Tech Focus, not Sales Focus

Other providers often enforce their preferred IT stack, but we don’t, as IT is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Disaster Recovery and Backup Solutions

We ensure our Clients’ business continuity through robust disaster recovery and backup solutions.

Expertise Across Industries

With experience in various verticals and industries, Penntech understands different businesses’ unique IT challenges and can provide customised solutions..

Contact us today or explore the range of support packages on offer.

    
 
 
       Posted on Google  
    Me Mo 
 10 February 2023
 
 
  We cannot recommend Penntech highly enough for their continuous IT support, we have worked with them for years and there is truly nothing that they cannot solve or help with. Their vast amount of knowledge and speed in response is second to none.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Alasdair Gray 
 6 February 2023
 
 
  We have been using Penntech for around 6 years now and have had a great experience. Every member of the team we interreact with is friendly and helpful and our queries are always answered quickly.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Chris Sheasby 
 22 March 2021
 
 
  I've known Lewis since working with him at CIFF in 2011.  More recently, he has built-up an excellent business which supports a number of my past and present clients.  He also supports my business.  Lewis is first rate and equally importantly, he has built a good team around him to provide quality, responsive IT support.  I can't recommend Penntech highly enough.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Rebecca Groves 
 20 July 2020
 
 
  Penntech have worked with us for a number of years now and have always gone above and beyond to provide an efficient professional service in every circumstance. Their friendly responsive approach is refreshing and nothing is too big or too small to assist with.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    nick groves 
 20 July 2020
 
 
  Lewis and his team are fantastic! Highly recommended
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Demstone Chambers 
 29 May 2020
 
 
  Friendly and approachable, but also excellent technically. As a barristers chambers  we have industry-specific data protection requirements. Penntech showed in-depth knowledge about the interaction between these requirements and technical IT aspects.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Marion Caillat 
 20 May 2020
 
 
  Penntech helped us migrate and merge our inbox's for our small restaurant and bar group. They were super efficient and got everything done within 24 hours. I highly recommend them and will be using them again.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    Jonathan Davies 
 18 May 2020
 
 
  Heartstyles have worked with Penntech for 3 years. The initial brief to sort out our global IT requirements. Penntech have always been refreshing clear in their comms, avoiding IT gobbledygook. No job has been too small to support and they always deliver above and beyond what was required and within budget. They clearly know what they’re doing and the level of service is always outstanding
  
 
      Posted on Google  
    leigh ryan 
 18 May 2020
 
 
  Lewis and the team at Penntech are seen very much as an extension of our business. They are professional, technically brilliant, don't over complicate things, very friendly and the staff feel comfortable dealing with them on a daily basis.  They have a good understanding of our needs and go above and beyond to ensure we can get on with our day to day business, safe in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong technically that Penntech will resolve it efficiently. Leigh Ryan, CIO, MGAM Ltd
  
 
  
  
 
 
   Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 24 reviews