Cybersecurity threats are more complex today than they once were. 74% of companies say that insider threats are becoming more prevalent and that they are at least moderately vulnerable to them. Insider threats can be particularly difficult to stop because employees and other insiders most often carry them out with legitimate access to critical systems. They aren’t always malicious, either, sometimes they’re simply an accident.
This is why comprehensive insider risk management tools like Forcepoint Insider Threat are so valuable in today’s digital environments. We’ll explore how Forcepoint Insider Threat can protect an organization from insider threats, as well as its advantages and disadvantages, and outline a few viable alternatives for companies.
What is Forcepoint Insider Threat?
Forcepoint Insider Threat is an insider threat platform that leverages user activity monitoring and behavioral analytics to identify potential risks, detect threats, and offer incident response solutions. It’s a powerful cybersecurity tool that helps security analysts gain deep visibility into enterprise operations to identify both suspicious activity and negligent behavior that can make an organization susceptible to data breaches, cyberattacks, or compliance violations.
Features
- User Activity Monitoring: Robust user activity monitoring solutions offer granular controls to track potentially risky behavior without violating employee privacy.
- Behavior Analytics: Building normal behavioral baselines, Forcepoint detects anomalous behavior that may indicate a potential threat.
- Data Loss Prevention: Analyzes how individuals interact with data and provides automated tools to prevent accidental insider threats or intentional data exfiltration, external file transfers, or intellectual property theft across many endpoints.
- Risk Scoring: A proactive approach includes assessing the riskiest users in an environment based on their behaviors.
- Automated Alerts: Granular, customizable settings allow security leaders to set automated alerts for the employee actions they’re most concerned about.
- Investigative Tools: Standardized timelines and custom reporting simplifies security audits and investigations to determine the intent of specific violations.
Pros
Forcepoint Insider Threat delivers a proactive approach to stopping insider threats in their tracks. It excels in a few key cybersecurity areas.
Comprehensive Monitoring
Leveraging user activity monitoring and behavioral analytics across myriad endpoints in an enterprise environment, Forcepoint Insider Threat offers flexible solutions to gain visibility into user activity across the IT infrastructure. This is especially useful in distributed workforces, where many mobile devices, removable storage devices, and email accounts may be accessing the network from different places.
Early Warning System
An “Inside-Out” approach to cybersecurity links user behavior to data movement, regardless of location, allowing security analysts to establish baselines for normal user behavior and file activity. When those baselines are disrupted, automated alerts give security leads an early warning to assess context to user actions, identify abuse of access rights, and block compromised users, if necessary. That way, you can stop unprivileged access to critical systems.
Customizable Risk Scoring
Forcepoint Insider Threat’s establishment of baselines helps security personnel work proactively to customize risk scoring of individual users. Organizations may want to flag any attempted access to privileged information in heavily regulated industries.
In organizations where access to customer data and corporate information is shared more freely, analysts may only need to know when an employee regularly moves data to personal devices. Customizable risk scoring allows your organization to add context to its own security policies, determining what is and is not a potential risk indicator.
Cons
Complex Implementation
Forcepoint Insider Threat may have a significant learning curve and take a while to incorporate into your existing tech security stack. It offers both on-premises and cloud deployments, but as it depends on comprehensive data exploration and classification, it may require a heavy lift to connect all data sources and ensure complete coverage of IT infrastructure.
Potential for False Positives
Deep user activity monitoring capabilities are great until they lead to false positives that create tension in the workplace. It shouldn’t happen frequently, but by leaning on automated enforcement, Forcepoint Insider Threat does have the potential to flag normal activities as suspicious, occupying human time and resources.
Privacy Concerns
Any insider risk management solution that leverages user activity monitoring has associated privacy concerns. Most employees don’t love the idea that their employers are tracking all of their activity. While Forcepoint Insider Threat offers granular tools to determine what activity should be tracked, comprehensive endpoint protection includes tracking movements like user keyboards, emails, and activities on websites and cloud services. That’s a lot of information being gathered, some of which may rub your employees the wrong way.
Resource Intensive
Forcepoint Insider Threat delivers robust deployments across cloud and on-premises environments but may be particularly resource-intensive. Automated alerts only go so far, and the security audit and investigation capabilities are only as good as those of a security team that can leverage them. As such, managing Forcepoint Insider Threat may require a larger IT team than a company can afford.
Limited Integration Options
Forcepoint offers a full portfolio of security products. However, while there are many products, such as Forcepoint ONE or Forcepoint DLP, that can help round out your organization’s security posture, Forcepoint products tend not to play nicely with existing security solutions. With limited integration options, it may be easier to simply move all of your cybersecurity to Forcepoint rather than use it to complement current solutions, which may be an expensive pill to swallow.
When is Forcepoint Insider Threat Worth it?
- Large enterprises with complex security needs: Companies with complex IT infrastructures and many remote endpoints will find that Forcepoint Insider Threat’s extensive monitoring capabilities are valuable. Not to mention, its integrations with other Forcepoint tools will help create a more robust security posture.
- Organizations in highly regulated industries: Companies dealing with a lot of sensitive data must prevent attacks by malicious insiders as well as compliance and policy violations by negligent users. Forcepoint can help with both.
- Companies with a history of insider threats: If your organization knows insider threats are likely, either by the value of your data or the competitive nature of your industry, it’s a good idea to invest in Forcepoint Insider Threat.
When is Forcepoint Insider Threat Not Worth it?
- Small to medium-sized businesses: Companies with limited endpoints to analyze and less complex IT infrastructures may not feel Forcepoint’s cost or complexity is justified.
- Organizations with limited IT resources: Forcepoint Insider Threat requires dedicated security analysts and IT experts to work effectively. Companies with limited IT resources may not be able to take full advantage.
- Companies seeking a unified security solution: Forcepoint Insider Threat offers robust insider risk management, but it may require additional tools to account for cloud security, DLP, network enforcement, and more.
4 Alternatives to Forcepoint Insider Threat
While Forcepoint Insider Threat is a strong option for insider risk management — especially for large enterprises — there are several alternatives that may work better for your organization. We break down some of the leading solutions below.
| Alternative | Description | Best For |
| Teramind | Teramind is a comprehensive employee monitoring and insider threat detection platform that offers real-time user activity monitoring, data loss prevention, and productivity tracking. It stands out with its user-friendly interface, flexible deployment options, and advanced AI-powered security analytics. | Organizations seeking a balance between powerful insider threat protection and employee productivity optimization |
| Forcepoint Insider Threat | Forcepoint Insider Threat is a security solution with over 15 years of experience in identifying and stopping internal threats for government and Fortune 100 customers. It offers broad monitoring capabilities and early warning systems for risky user behavior. | Large enterprises and organizations in highly regulated industries with complex security needs |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Insight | CrowdStrike Falcon Insight is an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution that includes insider threat protection capabilities. It offers real-time threat detection, automated investigation, and rapid response features. | Organizations looking for a comprehensive endpoint security solution with insider threat capabilities |
| Proofpoint Insider Threat Management | Proofpoint Insider Threat Management combines user activity monitoring, data loss prevention, and behavioral analytics to detect and respond to insider threats. It offers integration with Proofpoint’s broader security ecosystem. | Companies already using Proofpoint solutions and seeking integrated insider threat protection |
| Veriato | Veriato is an AI-driven insider threat detection and employee monitoring solution. It offers user behavior analytics, screen recording, and anomaly detection capabilities. | Organizations looking for an AI-powered approach to insider threat detection and employee monitoring |
Teramind
Teramind is one of the most comprehensive employee monitoring solutions on the market and a cutting edge security platform. With flexible deployment options and granular controls, Teramind provides organizations with tailor-made solutions for insider risk management, DLP, and even workforce management.
Teramind’s user activity monitoring and user and behavioral analytics (UEBA) offers robust insider risk protection for organizations, supported by automated alerts and incident responses to stop insider risks before they occur. Plus, as a powerful DLP solution, it can help your company manage access privileges and stop data exfiltration effectively.
Features
- User Activity Monitoring: Extensive monitoring capabilities set normal baselines and detect anomalous user activity and suspicious activity in real-time. Smart alerts and automated responses lessen the burden on security teams.
- Data Loss Prevention: DLP tools ensure your organization’s sensitive data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands thanks to powerful endpoint protection and access monitoring.
- Productivity Tracking: Robust productivity tracking tools make Teramind effective as a workforce management solution. If you’re working towards operational efficiency, Teramind provides deep insights into your workforce’s productivity and help you incentivize improvement.
- Behavioral Analytics: Rather than simply tracking file movements or data-related actions, Teramind analyzes user behaviors to identify when someone is acting strangely or showing other potential threat indicators.
Pricing
- Starter: $75/user/year
- UAM: $150/user/year
- DLP: $175/user/year
- Enterprise: Custom
How Teramind stands out
- User-friendly interface: You don’t need to be a security or IT expert to use Teramind thanks to an intuitive interface that provides a unified dashboard to monitor your organization’s security posture.
- Flexible deployment options: On-premesis, cloud, and hybrid deployment options go beyond most competitors.
- AI-powered security analytics tool: Machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence provide accurate threat detection while reducing the risk of false positives.
- Productivity focus: Teramind’s ability to double as a productivity tracker and workforce management tool make it far more than simply a cybersecurity solution.
- Customizable policies: Offers flexible, tailored solutions for your organization based on your specific security policies and corporate policies that you would like to enforce.
CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike Falcon’s extensive AI-native platform offers a variety of powerful cybersecurity solutions for organizations of all sizes and industries. The robust security platform offers insider threat detection and intelligence, proactive threat hunting, identity threat protection and response, and more standout features to identify and stop insider threats in real-time.
In addition to functioning as an insider risk management tool, CrowdStrike Falcon also offers DLP, cloud security, and productivity-focused enhancements like workflow automation and generative AI.
Features
- Real-time Threat Detection: Continuously provides visibility into endpoint activity and actions by employees across channels for signs of malicious users or insider threats.
- Automated Investigation: Streamlines the threat investigation process with automated workflows and AI-assisted analysis.
- Rapid Response: Enables quick containment and remediation of detected threats.
Pricing
- Falcon Go: $59.99/device
- Falcon Pro: $99.99/device
- Falcon Enterprise: $184.99/device
- Falcon Elite: Custom
Proofpoint Insider Threat Management (formerly ObserveIT)
Focused on user-friendliness, Proofpoint ITM’s centralized reporting dashboards provide real-time insight into user activity, providing deeper visibility into user behavior within your organization’s ecosystem. User activity monitoring and behavioral analytics are enhanced with forensic features like screenshots of suspicious activities and automated smart alerts to keep security professionals in the know.
This innovative cybersecurity solution also offers DLP features like automated data exfiltration blocking across common data loss channels.
Features
- User Activity Monitoring: Tracks real-time and a history of user actions across various platforms and applications.
- Data Loss Prevention: Prevents unauthorized data exfiltration and sensitive information leaks.
- Behavioral Analytics: Analyzes user behavior patterns to detect anomalies and potential insider threats.
Pricing
- Starts at $227.80/user/year (per 3rd party websites)
Veriato
Veriato is an insider risk management platform that proactively analyzes user behavior to detect anomalous behavior and uncover potential insider threats. With on-premesis, remote, and hybrid deployment options available, it provides an advanced monitoring solution to manage insider risks, maintain regulatory standards, and even improve productivity.
With comprehensive tracking of thousands of endpoints, Veriato Cerebral may also function as a DLP and endpoint protection solution.
Features
- AI-driven Analytics: Utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze user behavior and detect potential insider threats.
- Screen Recording: Captures and stores user screen activity for detailed investigations.
- Anomaly Detection: Identifies unusual user behavior that may indicate insider threats.
Pricing
- Pricing is not publicly available
Conclusion
Insider threats present a unique security challenge to many organizations today. Companies aren’t just fending off attacks from external sources; disgruntled employees, compromised users, or simply negligent end users all may threaten to bring financial or reputational harm to the business.
A security tool like Forcepoint Insider Threat can help sniff out malicious insiders and prevent compliance violations or data breaches caused by negligent users. However, it’s not the only tool that may work for your organization, as there are several good alternatives on the market that may better suit your business’s needs.
