A recent study by the Ponemon Institute and DTEX Systems suggests that when it comes to detecting insider threats, 53% of the businesses they surveyed are unable to prevent insider attacks. Considering that the Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report suggests that 22% of all cyber attacks are caused by insiders, this is concerning.
An insider breach or threat is defined as an employee who intentionally sets out to steal data from the company. In some cases, employees may even carry out other cyber attacks such as ransomware. A ZDNet story from August 2021 discusses how hackers have targeted employees to install ransomware on company computers for a share in the profits. The possibility exists that your employees may intentionally harm your business, which is something as a business owner you need to look out for.
So, what are some of the warning signs that your organization could be in danger of an insider attack? According to the Ponemon/DTX study, some of the key indicators include:
- Opening an unusual amounts of files
- Attempting to use USB devices to save data
- Staff purposefully circumventing security controls
- Employees trying to mask their online activities
- Employees moving and saving files to unusual locations
Businesses struggle to detect these indicators of insider threats due to a lack of effective monitoring controls and practices. In addition, there is a lack of in-house expertise in dealing with threats, and a lack of budget to effectively monitor threats, both insider and outsider. Couple that with the shift to remote working which also makes it harder to monitor and mitigate cyber security risks.
If any of this sounds familiar, you could be at risk for an insider cyber attack. To get a handle on your company’s cyber risk, contact the experts at QuickProtect. QuickProtect’s services include data loss prevention to help ensure your data isn’t lost to hackers or malicious insiders.
