Internal threats are one of the most significant cybersecurity risks organizations face today. These threats originate from within and involve employees, contractors, vendors, or anyone with authorized access to sensitive systems, data, or facilities. Unlike external attacks, internal threats can be intentional or unintentional, making them particularly challenging to detect and mitigate.
Internal threats pose a significant risk, especially when departing employees are involved. Whether through negligence or malicious intent, their actions can jeopardize sensitive data and undermine an organization’s cyber security posture. Effectively mitigating these risks requires robust strategies to prevent system misuse and enhance internal threat detection capabilities.
Employee Access to Sensitive Data
IT leaders increasingly identify their workforce as a significant source of internal network security threats, primarily due to employees’ access to sensitive data, which creates cybersecurity risks that can be exploited. The situation becomes even more critical when certain employees are granted unrestricted access to highly sensitive files, increasing the risk of data breaches.
For instance, a recent Varonis report revealed that 58% of organizations give employees access to more than 100,000 folders, significantly heightening their exposure to data security risks. Additionally, 22% of a company’s folders are often accessible to all employees, pointing to serious flaws in access controls. This unrestricted access intensifies the risk of internal threats, especially when hackers exploit these vulnerabilities to breach systems.
Types of Internal Threats
Intentional Internal Threats
When it comes to internal cyber security threats, intentional insiders, such as disgruntled employees, activists opposing the organization’s agenda, or moles, pose significant risks. These individuals often have privileged access and deep knowledge of organizational operations, making their attacks particularly effective and damaging. Whether driven by revenge, ideology, or espionage, their actions can severely harm the organization.
However, while internal cyber incidents are a concern, they make up a smaller portion of the overall cybersecurity risks. Vigilance remains crucial, as internal threats can come from anyone. Recognizing the warning signs is the first step in safeguarding your organization from these risks.
Unintentional, Negligence, and Careless Internal Threats
Internal cyber security threats often occur when an employee, through negligence or carelessness, unintentionally triggers a security breach. This highlights the critical importance of addressing insider risks, particularly those stemming from unintentional actions.
Employees who are unaware of cyber risks or unable to identify social engineering tactics used by hackers can inadvertently become internal threats. Careless and uninformed staff can significantly increase the risk of cyberattacks, posing a major concern for organizations. This highlights the critical need for comprehensive training and awareness programs to reduce the likelihood of such incidents.
Take a moment to consider your colleagues, or even yourself. The everyday tools you rely on, like the mouse you used to click on this blog, could be hiding a rogue hardware device capable of injecting malicious keystrokes, stealing data, spreading malware, and more.
Endpoint Vulnerabilities and Hardware-Based Attacks
For some time now, organizations have equipped employees with company-owned devices to support remote work. While this setup enables convenient access to internal networks and sensitive information, it also introduces serious internal network security threats. Whether these devices are permitted for personal use typically depends on each organization’s cybersecurity policy. Yet regardless of usage rules, these devices often connect to critical systems and may store confidential data locally, making them high-value targets.
At first glance, this arrangement appears beneficial. During times of disruption, such as global crises, these devices helped organizations maintain productivity and business continuity. However, that’s often where the advantages stop.
The reality is that endpoints remain vulnerable to a variety of sophisticated hardware-based attacks. One of the most dangerous internal threats comes from rogue devices, malicious peripherals connected via USB ports. These spoofed devices often impersonate legitimate Human Interface Devices (HIDs), allowing them to evade detection by traditional security tools. Once connected, they become an internal network security threat, providing cybercriminals with direct access to the endpoint. From there, attackers can steal sensitive data, inject malware, conduct corporate espionage, or even launch ransomware attacks, depending on the level of access granted to the compromised device. These rogue hardware attacks often go unnoticed, bypassing traditional security measures and leaving organizations exposed from the inside out.
Internal Threats and Remote Endpoints
Internal threats from employees and remote devices remain a persistent and growing risk for organizations. While each alone can pose internal threats, the risk significantly increases when the two intersect. Consider this common scenario: when an employee leaves the organization, their remote access credentials are typically revoked. But what happens to the sensitive data stored locally on their endpoint? Shockingly, 65% of organizations can’t remotely wipe devices, leaving former employees with access until the hardware is physically recovered. This creates a serious security gap, one of many that organizations must address to protect their networks and data.
Now, imagine the implications. A recently terminated employee, perhaps disgruntled and feeling they have nothing to lose, still has access to sensitive data stored locally on their endpoint. In this state, a hardware-based attack becomes an appealing option. Rogue devices are affordable, stealthy, and capable of bypassing traditional security measures. Once connected, they can remain undetected while executing data theft, injecting malware, or enabling remote access. This scenario perfectly encapsulates the internal cyber threats posed by a malicious insider with both motive and means.
Internal Negligence and Sensitive Data Exposure
Internal threats aren’t always driven by malicious intent. Former employees who mean no harm can still introduce serious risks through negligence. Without proper cybersecurity awareness, a former employee might carelessly dispose of their endpoint, unaware that sensitive data remains accessible. The inability to remotely wipe corporate data creates a significant vulnerability. What if the device ends up in the wrong hands, sold online to a hacker? Or given to a friend or family member who accidentally connects a risky device? The scenarios are countless, and the consequences can be severe. As the number of internal threats continues to rise, so too does the urgency for comprehensive endpoint security.
Internal Threats and Endpoint Cyber Security
Sepio’s platform provides organizations with complete visibility into all hardware assets within their infrastructure, including remote endpoints. By leveraging Physical Layer fingerprinting technology and Machine Learning, Sepio generates a unique digital fingerprint for each device based on its electrical characteristics. These fingerprints are compared against a database of known vulnerable and rogue devices. This allows for real-time identification and mitigation of internal network security threats, ensuring that unauthorized or compromised hardware is detected and blocked before it poses a risk to the organization.
Sepio’s platform also empowers system administrators to define and enforce strict hardware access policies. When a device violates these predefined rules, Sepio automatically initiates a mitigation process, instantly blocking rogue hardware and neutralizing potential security threats.
For example, one client successfully stopped an internal security threat by using Sepio’s Asset Risk Management (ARM) mode for a specific employee’s device. This action made the device useless, whether the employee meant to cause harm or just made a mistake.
While many organizations struggle to remotely wipe sensitive data from unmanaged or offsite devices, that doesn’t mean a solution doesn’t exist. Sepio provides the missing layer of control, your secret weapon against internal threats.
Addressing Internal Threats with Sepio
Gain full visibility into every known and shadow asset. Identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks before they escalate. Talk to a Sepio expert to discover how our patented technology can help you take control of asset risks and strengthen your internal threat cybersecurity posture.
