How To Guard Your Network From Insider Threats

Man seated at a desk in a black room, hunched over a computer with a very bright screen.

It’s not news that technology is advancing rapidly — and so is the need to safeguard your network from cyberthreats.

Small to medium-sized businesses certainly need protection, However, corporate-level institutions have a greater risk of insider threats due to their sheer size, number of employees and amount of network data that often spans worldwide.

And while external threats often grab headlines, IT professionals can’t overstate the significance of mitigating insider threats. This type of threat can arise from employees, contractors, vendors and business associates who have access to sensitive information. That makes it crucial for IT professionals to implement robust strategies to protect networks from within.

Let’s explore the ins and outs of how to guard your network from insider threats.

Understanding Insider Threats: What Are They?

Insider threats can manifest in many forms, ranging from unintentional actions to deliberately malicious activities. Maybe an employee clicks a phishing email in their inbox, or maybe a disgruntled employee seeks personal gain from sensitive data.

Identifying these threats requires a comprehensive approach that combines technological solutions, employee training and vigilant monitoring.

Six Types of Insider Threats to Consider

Here are six types of insider threats and suspicious data movements that security teams specifically watch for.

Departing employees. Whether your organization fires an employee or they leave voluntarily, they might take materials (intentionally or unintentionally) before they head out. Sometimes they take materials they’re proud of and that might help them land a future job. Or they may take these materials with malicious or spiteful intent, potentially to seek revenge. This is among the most common insider threats.
Malicious insiders. These are current employees who aren’t your biggest fans. They typically act on their grievances by altering or deleting crucial data sets, disclosing confidential information or engaging in other types of sabotage.
Negligent workers. These are also current employees, but they don’t act with malicious intent. They put your company at risk because security habits aren’t strong: failing to renew passwords, creating poor and easy-to-hack passwords or not setting up multi-factor authentication. They also may let others use their devices, allowing access to company data and other information.
Security evaders. Most companies that are with (or ahead of) the times or work with expert IT professionals have secure data policies in place. But sometimes employees may find these protection policies inconvenient for their day-to-day work. As a result, they create shortcuts or fail to comply with policies, which makes your system vulnerable to a data breach (and actually increases the chance of one happening).
Inside agents. This type of threat comes from one or more external people. These outsiders (such as hackers) often reach out to members of your company and bribe or blackmail them to provide information, like login credentials. They might also deceive employees who think they’re communicating with someone internal.
Third-party partners. This last common insider threat isn’t necessarily someone who’s in your office or on your payroll. Contractors, vendors, suppliers and other third-party partners who have some access level to your business’s information are often just as risky as actual employees because they may have the same system permissions.

Now, let’s look at how to prevent threats and malicious activities in the first place.

Ways To Guard Your Network From Insider Threats

There are many levels of IT defenses, but here are some top ways to guard your network from insider threats.

Conduct Comprehensive Risk Assessments

IT professionals should start by conducting thorough risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities within your network.

These assessments may include evaluating user privileges, access controls and data encryption methods. Understanding your organization’s digital landscape with assessments is key to developing effective countermeasures against insider threats.

Implement the Principle of Least Privilege

The principle of least privilege means employees should have a minimum (or the least amount possible) access level to do their job and what it demands.

Limiting unnecessary privileges reduces the potential impact of insider threats because you’re essentially just restricting access. The less overall access to sensitive data and critical systems there is, the better.

Monitor User Activity

Implementing robust monitoring systems allows IT professionals to track user activity on the network continuously and consistently.

Anomalies such as unusual login times or access to unauthorized areas are typically the earliest signs of potential insider threats. With advanced analytics and machine learning tools, your business benefits from better detecting unusual patterns and behaviors.

Conduct Employee Training and Awareness Programs

Educating employees about the risks of insider threats is paramount. Unsurprisingly, this prevention method is especially useful because we’re talking about insider threats.

Regular training sessions help staff recognize phishing attempts and understand the importance of secure password practices. They also foster an invaluable overall company culture of cybersecurity awareness.

Well-informed employees (remote, hybrid or in-office) become your first line of defense against both intentional and unintentional insider threats.

Develop and Enforce Security Policies

Establishing not only clear but also easily enforceable security policies is crucial.

Policies should cover aspects such as data handling, acceptable use of company resources and consequences for policy violations. Fairly and consistently enforcing these policies reinforces your organization’s commitment to strong and long-lasting cybersecurity.

Utilize Insider Threat Detection Tools

Implementing specialized insider threat detection tools significantly enhances your organization’s ability to both identify and mitigate potential risks.

These tools can analyze user behaviors, detect outliers and provide alerts in real time. This tells IT professionals what the threat is, how they should respond — and how promptly they should handle it.

Foster a Culture of Trust and Communication

Building a culture of trust and open communication is important at any company, small to large. But encouraging employees to report suspicious activities without fear of reprisal is vital.

This creates the type of environment where you can address potential insider threats as quickly and proactively as possible. And as a result, you prevent minor problems from becoming potentially disastrous.

Contact CMIT Solutions of Bothell for Proactive Network Defense

Guarding your network from insider threats requires a multifaceted approach. Yours should combine advanced technological solutions, employee communication and continuous monitoring.

On that note, it’s difficult to do it all yourself. Most businesses are busy working with clients, completing projects and focusing on immediate matters that may not leave much time for anything else. That’s where IT professionals like us at CMIT Solutions of Bothell come in.

Our expertise plays a pivotal role in implementing and maintaining detection, prevention and recovery measures to ensure your network security and integrity remain intact.

Contact us today if you need an IT team who’s proactive and informed, especially in the face of crises. We’ll support your company with secure data solutions that mitigate the risks that insider threats pose — and keep your cybersecurity in line.

Featured image via Pixabay

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