Cybersecurity: Tackling the insider threat

Risk of leaving a computer unattended. — Image by © Tim Sandle.

National Insider Threat Awareness Month is full swing. The event takes place during September each year. An insider threat is a perceived threat to an organization that comes from people within the organization, such as employees, former employees, contractors or business associates.

The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE), a training and education provider within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), has led the sixth annual National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) throughout the month of September.

Insider threats pose a significant risk to both private and public sectors and continue to evolve alongside new technologies, increasing the risks of shadow IT and shadow AI.

During the month supporters work collaboratively to emphasize the importance of preparing the workforce to deter, detect, and mitigate threats posed from trusted insiders.

Or Shoshani, Co-Founder and CEO, Stream.Security has provided a different perspective on the current state of insider threats to Digital Journal. Shoshani also pontificates on what this month should mean for the cybersecurity community.
 

Beginning with the importance of the event, Shoshani explains: “This National Insider Threat Awareness Month, it’s important to revisit your cloud security strategy to ensure individuals with permission to access your cloud data cannot harm businesses.”

In terms of examples, Shoshani puts forward: “From mistakenly sharing data to purposely attacking infrastructure in retaliation, sensitive data in the cloud is easier than ever to access and misuse.”

Many companies are experiencing an upsurge in insider issues, as Shoshani  points out: “With increases in insider threat attacks in the past few years, organizations must improve their approach to cloud security. Rapidly changing security needs require an organization’s response behaviours to change in tandem.”

There are measures that companies can be taking in order to address concerns. Here Shoshani suggests: “Using real-time cloud security tools to investigate and mitigate threats within minutes instead of days is critical. These tools provide solutions to problems before they occur, minimizing negative outcomes from insider threats like data loss, disruption of services, or stolen information.” 

Further, Shoshani recommends: “Protecting data continues to be a priority for businesses, and we must keep our employees in mind when developing these strategies. With the right monitoring of changes in the cloud, we can respond accordingly and prevent insider risks from occurring.”