Businesses face myriad cyber security risks, from phishing to unauthorized access of proprietary information. While restricting access rights and maintaining strict security measures can help, potential insider threats are always a risk.
Organizations must effectively monitor for warning signs of insider threats to prevent financial loss or compromising critical assets. Creating an insider threat program to raise insider threat awareness and mitigate risks of insider threats is an excellent step to go beyond standard security against external attacks.
Most insider threats don’t develop in an instant. They emerge over time. Security professionals use the term ‘dwell time’ to indicate how long an insider attack has been latent or developing in a network. While it’s building, insider threat indicators allow security teams and admins to spot potential insider threats and suspicious activity. Identifying behavioral indicators can help stop malicious activity before it worsens.
Join us as we explore some key indicators of insider threat behavior.
Types of Insider Threats
Insider threats are typically categorized as unintentional or malicious.
Unintentional threats are just that: unintentional. During regular activity, an employee accidentally creates a potential risk. This could be from negligence, complacency, or a misunderstanding of organizational policies and security controls. One of the most common examples of an unintentional insider threat is when someone falls victim to social engineering and gives up employee access privileges to valuable assets or data.
Another type of unintentional insider threat is unsecure file sharing. Of course, an employee likely does not intend to disrupt systems or compromise critical assets. Still, poor security practices like not password-protecting a file can lead to an insider threat. Negligent insiders can cause significant problems for an organization, and there are many ways to create insider risks accidentally. As such, it’s crucial to instill good security practices and policies in legitimate users, especially those with access to mission-critical systems.
On the other hand, malicious insider threats are when an employee or contractor intentionally causes harm to systems or data. Malicious insider threats take a lot of different forms. Some attacks come in IT sabotage, where someone with access to systems or other elevated access privileges deletes or restricts access to those systems.
Some malicious insiders conduct fraud or steal intellectual property for personal gain or to inflict financial losses on the organization. Other intentional insider threats may involve stealing data or granting unauthorized network access to external bad actors. In each case, the malicious actor has made a calculated effort to use their access rights to attack the organization from within.
1. Data Access and Movement Patterns
- Excessive Document Exportation: Unusual volume of files being copied to external drives, uploaded to cloud services, or sent via email, especially outside normal business hours.
- Unauthorized Download Patterns: Large-scale downloading of data from corporate systems, particularly if outside the employee’s normal job responsibilities.
- Printing Anomalies: Sudden increases in printing sensitive documents or printing large volumes of data, especially to local printers.
- Email Behavior Changes: Sending company files to personal email accounts or using email drafts to store sensitive information.
- Unauthorized Data Transfers: Moving files between servers or to off-network locations without business justification.
2. Authentication and Access Patterns
- Off-Hours Activity: Logging into systems during unusual hours, especially when accessing sensitive data or systems.
- Failed Access Attempts: Multiple unsuccessful login attempts across different systems or from unusual locations.
- Escalating Access Requests: Repeated attempts to gain higher levels of system privileges without clear business need.
- Credential Sharing: Using shared credentials or accessing systems with others’ login information.
- Geographic Anomalies: Login attempts from multiple locations in timeframes that suggest impossible travel patterns.
3. Security Control Interactions
- Security Tool Tampering: Attempts to disable or modify security monitoring tools, antivirus software, or logging systems.
- Encryption Usage: Unauthorized use of encryption tools or steganography software to hide data.
- VPN/Proxy Usage: Installing or using unauthorized VPN services or proxy tools to mask activity.
- Security Override Requests: Frequent requests for security policy exceptions without valid business justification.
- Hacking Tool Presence: Installation or use of penetration testing tools, password crackers, or other hacking software.
4. Behavioral Indicators
- Financial Pressures: Financial gain motivates disgruntled employees to become insider threats. Watch for signs of unusual financial stress or sudden changes in financial circumstances.
- Workplace Conflicts: Growing tensions with management or coworkers, especially following negative performance reviews.
- Job Dissatisfaction: Expressing unusually strong negative feelings about work, management, or company policies.
- Unusual Hours: Working outside normal hours when others aren’t present, especially in secure or restricted areas.
- Pre-Resignation Behavior: Collecting or accessing unusual amounts of data before announcing resignation.
5. Network Activity Patterns
- Unusual Connections: Accessing suspicious IP addresses or connecting to known malicious domains.
- Port Scanning: Use of network scanning tools or repeated attempts to access various network ports.
- Traffic Anomalies: Unexpected spikes in network traffic or data transfers, particularly during off-hours.
- Lateral Movement: Unusual patterns of access across different systems or network segments.
- Protocol Misuse: Using network protocols in unexpected ways or attempting to tunnel traffic through unusual ports.
6. System Usage Indicators
- Unauthorized Software: Installing applications without approval, especially tools that could be used for data extraction.
- Process Manipulation: Creating or modifying system processes in ways that could hide activity.
- Script Execution: Running unauthorized scripts, especially those that automate data collection or system changes.
- Application Misuse: Using legitimate applications in ways that deviate from their intended purpose.
- Resource Consumption: Unusual patterns of system resource usage that could indicate unauthorized activities.
7. Account Management Activities
- Permission Changes: Unauthorized modifications to access rights or user privileges.
- Account Creation: Creating new user accounts without proper documentation or approval.
- Audit Log Interference: Attempts to modify, delete, or disable system audit logs.
- Password Resets: Unusual patterns of password changes or reset requests.
- Service Account Usage: Inappropriate use of service accounts or shared administrative credentials.
8. Physical Security Concerns
- Access Patterns: Entering facilities during off-hours or accessing areas unrelated to job duties.
- Security Bypass: Attempts to circumvent physical security measures like tailgating or propping doors.
- Asset Removal: Unauthorized removal of company equipment, documents, or storage devices.
- Suspicious Activities: Taking photos of secure areas or showing unusual interest in physical security measures.
- Visitor Policy Violations: Bringing unauthorized visitors into restricted areas or sharing access credentials.
9. Document and File Handling
- Mass File Access: Accessing an unusually high number of documents, especially outside normal job duties.
- Classification Violations: Mishandling classified or sensitive information, including improper storage or transmission.
- Unauthorized Copies: Creating unauthorized copies of sensitive documents or data.
- Data Aggregation: Collecting and compiling sensitive information from various sources without clear need.
- Improper Disposal: Failing to follow proper procedures for disposing of sensitive documents or data.
10. Technical Configuration Changes
- System Modifications: Unauthorized changes to system configurations, especially security settings or controls.
- Network Changes: Modifying network settings or creating unauthorized network shares.
- Security Control Alterations: Attempts to modify or disable security tools, firewalls, or monitoring systems.
- Development Environment Access: Unauthorized modifications to source code or development environments.
- Remote Access Tools: Installing or configuring unauthorized remote access or control software.
How To Detect Threat Indicators
One of the best solutions to stop insider threats is training staff. There is a laundry list of items that should be in any good staff training for insider threat prevention, including:
- Awareness of spearfishing and social engineering efforts
- Understanding of credential controls
- Understanding of identity and access management tools
- Knowledge of common attack vectors
- Training on individual responsibilities as an employee or contractor
Where these are done universally, an organization is generally a lot safer.
Companies should also vet or screen staff accordingly. They should seek to hire people with a more refined understanding of cybersecurity strategies, as they already have the basic security knowledge to help prevent unintentional insider threats. This sort of screening can significantly enhance the security of teams and departments.
Finally, one of the best ways to detect insider threat indicators is to implement an employee monitoring software or other advanced security system. Often referred to as user entity behavior analysis (UEBA), advanced security tools can help pinpoint what activities are likely to contribute to insider attacks.
Employee monitoring software like Teramind can track all employee activities, allowing admins to record screens and take over employee desktops when there is an unintentional or intentional insider threat.
Moreover, you can set up automated intelligent alerts to surface potential insider threat indicators as soon as they happen, allowing you to prevent issues before they occur. An organization can have comprehensive strategies to monitor and prevent threats with advanced tools like keystroke logging, monitoring of more than 15 communication channels, data loss prevention, and file transfer tracking.
How to Respond to Insider Threats
Along with all of these steps, companies can be sure to practice good remediation policies, including:
Prevention and Preparation
The best way to defeat an insider threat is to ensure it never happens in the first place. By implementing robust security protocols and providing thorough security training to employees, you can help prevent unintentional insider threats. Likewise, you can inform employees about new potential threats to keep them prepared.
Intentional insider threats can be more complex to prevent entirely. You have no control over what happens outside of work. But you can work to keep employees happy, motivated, and loyal to the organization.
Use Insider Threat Software
Beyond the more personal prevention methods of security training and employee engagement, insider threat management software provides technical protection against insider threats. As we’ve touched on throughout this piece, modern user activity monitoring and security software gives organizations tools to proactively monitor employee behavior, network access, and access privileges to prevent intentional insider threats.
Insider threat software is suitable for organizations of all sizes, whether in-person, hybrid, or remote.
Promoting Zero-Trust Architectures
Zero-trust is a cybersecurity strategy that eliminates the implicit trust of any actor or device within the organization. It continuously validates every stage of a digital interaction to ensure security. While it may be a little frustrating for employees to always have to log in and authenticate their access privileges, zero-trust makes it much more difficult for external threats to infiltrate the organization and creates a stronger activity log of employee activity to expose any potential insider threat indicators.
Zero-trust is an additional layer of security rather than a substitute for more complex security systems. This strategy works well with employee monitoring software or additional security infrastructure.
FAQs
What are the 4 threat indicators?
The four common insider threat indicators are unusual behavior, access abuse, excessive data downloads, and unauthorized access attempts. These indicators can help organizations identify potential insider threats and take appropriate action to mitigate risks.
What is insider threat Indicator?
An insider threat indicator refers to any suspicious behavior, activity, or pattern that may indicate the presence of an insider threat within an organization. Common indicators include unusual behavior, access abuse, excessive data downloads, and unauthorized access attempts. These indicators can help organizations identify and mitigate potential risks posed by insiders.
What are insider threat measures?
Insider threat measures are proactive steps organizations take to prevent, detect, and respond to potential insider threats. These measures include implementing employee monitoring software, promoting a zero-trust architecture, and monitoring for indicators such as unusual behavior and unauthorized access attempts to ensure the security of sensitive data and mitigate risks.
Which areas are monitored for insider threat indicators?
Insider threat indicators can be monitored in various areas, including employee behavior, access logs, data downloads, and access attempts. By monitoring these areas, organizations can identify potential insider threats and take appropriate measures to mitigate risks and protect sensitive data.
What are the different types of threat indicators?
Common types of insider threat indicators include unusual behavior, access abuse, excessive data downloads, and unauthorized access attempts. Monitoring these indicators can help organizations identify potential insider threats and take necessary steps to mitigate risks and protect sensitive information.
What are threat indicators?
Insider threat indicators are suspicious behaviors or activities that may indicate the presence of an insider threat within an organization. Common indicators include unusual behavior, access abuse, excessive data downloads, and unauthorized access attempts. Monitoring these indicators helps organizations identify and mitigate potential risks posed by insiders.
What is an early indicator of a potential insider threat?
An early indicator of a potential insider threat is unusual behavior, such as sudden changes in work patterns, unexplained absences, or a sudden increase in disgruntled behavior. Monitoring and recognizing these signs early on can help organizations take proactive measures to prevent insider threats.
What is the most common insider threat?
The most common insider threat is typically attributed to employees misusing their access privileges within an organization. This can include unauthorized access attempts, data theft, or using sensitive information for personal gain.
Which insider threat carries the most risk?
The insider threat that carries the most risk is when employees misuse their access privileges for personal gain. This can include unauthorized access attempts, data theft, or the misuse of sensitive information. Monitoring for such indicators can help organizations mitigate the risks associated with insider threats.
Final Thoughts
Insider threat detection and prevention are crucial for organizations in the digital age. Here, we’ve covered many potential indicators that security leaders and organizations should look for and explored some of the best prevention and remediation methods. Making insider threat protection central to organizational policies and training is always the best first step to preventing intentional and unintentional insider threats.
