One of the biggest security threats businesses have had to cope with recently are what are referred to as insider threats. Defined as malicious activity done from within a company, no business is immune to them, which means they can be hard to manage. When companies define their cyber security strategy, they often focus on external security breaches. For a variety of reasons, managing insider threats could be more difficult, challenging and intensive. Insider threats come in different forms and can result in significant damage. Here’s a look at what businesses can do to deal with these threats:
What Are Insider Threats?
Insider threats are both accidental and deliberate, but it is the deliberate ones that are the biggest concerns. Educating and training employees can minimize accidental threats, developing internal cyber security policies, and making sure these policies are enforced. Deliberate threats involve the use of schemes and techniques that target the key areas within the organization. Insider threats have cost companies and corporations huge sums of money, since some of these threats come to pass, prompting the company to implement damage control plans and other associated contingencies. This eats into the finances of the company and may lead to significant losses. Data is the biggest thing at risk but some schemes are designed to target a company’s monetary reserves.
Challenges Arising from Insider Threats
Because these attacks happen from within, the damage can be considerable. One of the greatest challenges is that the attacks may go undetected for some time, which can result in some serious losses. The fact that the thieves operate from within means that they are able to monitor the fraud on a regular basis and make necessary changes to increase their success. Most of the time, those performing the fraud are legitimate members of the company, which means that they often have access to the company’s networks.
What to Do About Insider Threats
There are things businesses can do to minimize insider threats. One of the biggest ways is to constantly monitor the activity of its employees. If anything looks out of place, businesses can investigate and address the problem before serious damage can be done. Monitoring is also useful because it can establish the trends and patterns of employees. Once someone doesn’t follow his or her pattern, this activity can be investigated.
Not only that, but businesses should also tighten security from within the business’s network. Sensitive areas should be protected with additional security and passwords and only those who need to have access to the information will be allowed access. When it comes to monitoring, this can make it much easier.
Employee training is also something that can help minimize insider threats, particular those that were not done intentionally. Educated employees are less likely to fall victim of scams, open inappropriate emails, and engage in any activities on the company’s network that can put it at risk. Not only that, but knowledgeable employees may even detect suspicious activity and report it.
Insider threats are a real problem for businesses today. Contact Roan Solutions for more information on what to do about them.
