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 accidental, making them particularly challenging to detect and mitigate.
Departing employees underscore the critical nature of internal threats. Whether driven by negligence or malicious intent, their actions can threaten sensitive data and compromise the organization’s security posture. Effectively addressing these risks requires robust strategies to prevent system misuse and strengthen internal threat detection capabilities.
The Human Factor in Internal Threats
A staggering 90–95% of IT leaders identify their workforce as the top source of internal threats. Employees’ access to sensitive data gives them the potential to execute cyberattacks. The situation becomes even more alarming when certain employees have unrestricted access to highly sensitive files, increasing the likelihood of data breaches.
For instance, a report by Varonis revealed that over 53% of organizations allow employees access to more than 1,000 sensitive files, exposing themselves to significant data-security. This unrestricted access magnifies the danger posed by internal threats, particularly when hackers intentionally exploit this vulnerability.
Types of Internal Threats
Intentional Internal Threats
When it comes to internal cybersecurity 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, here’s a reassuring fact: only 5% of internal cyber incidents are caused by employees with malicious intent. While the likelihood may seem low, vigilance is crucial. Internal threats can come from anyone, and recognizing the warning signs is the first step in protecting your organization from these dangers.
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 unaware of cyber risks or unable to identify social engineering tactics used by hackers can inadvertently become internal threats. In fact, careless and uninformed staff contribute to a staggering 23% of cyberattacks, posing a significant concern for organizations.
Take a moment to consider the colleagues, or even yourself. The everyday tools you rely on, like the mouse you used to click on this article, could be hiding a rogue hardware device capable of injecting malicious keystrokes, stealing data, spreading malware, and more.
Rogue Devices and Endpoint Vulnerabilities
For some time, organizations have equipped their staff with company-owned devices for remote work. Whether these devices are allowed for personal use depends on the organization’s cybersecurity policies. While such practices facilitate access to networks and confidential information, they also pose significant security challenges, particularly internal network security threats. Depending on the remote work (WFH) policy, these devices often provide access to sensitive systems and may even store confidential data locally.
On the surface, this seems like a win. After all, these devices allowed many organizations to maintain operations during one of the most disruptive periods in recent history.
However, that’s where the positives end. Endpoints are vulnerable to hardware attacks, such as when a malicious spoofed peripheral is connected via a USB interface. These Rogue Devices, designed to impersonate legitimate Human Interface Devices (HIDs), bypass security alarms, granting hackers access to the user’s device. Once inside, attackers can exploit the endpoint for data theft, malware injection, espionage, or even ransomware attacks, depending on the access granted by the device.
Internal Security Threats and Remote Devices
The risks associated with employees internal threats and remote devices are always apparent. Organizations need to be on constant alert for attacks originating from both sources. When these two factors converge, the potential danger escalates significantly. Let me explain… What happens when an employee is terminated? The organization typically revokes their remote access privileges. But what about the data stored locally on the device? Shockingly, 65% of organizations cannot wipe devices remotely. Therefore, the terminated employee still has access to such data until the device is retrieved. This highlights just one of the many internal network security threats that organizations face.
Now, imagine the implications. A recently terminated employee, perhaps disgruntled and feeling they have nothing to lose, still has access to confidential data. A hardware attack is looking pretty appealing, given the affordability and stealth of rogue devices. These tools can go undetected and inflict significant damage on their target. This scenario perfectly encapsulates the internal cyber threats posed by a malicious insider.
Negligence and Data Exposure
But that is not the only risk. Former employees who lack malicious intent can still pose a danger through negligence. Without proper cybersecurity awareness, an ex-employee might irresponsibly dispose of their device. The inability to remotely erase its data exposes the organization to significant vulnerabilities. What if the device ends up in the wrong hands, sold online to a hacker? Was the device handed down to a friend or family member who hastily attached a vulnerable peripheral to it? The potential consequences are vast, and the list of damages caused by internal threats only continues to grow.
Internal Threats and Network Security Risks
Sepio’s platform offers organizations comprehensive visibility into all hardware assets within their infrastructure, including remote devices. Using Physical Layer fingerprinting technology and Machine Learning, Sepio generates a digital fingerprint based on the electrical characteristics of each device and compares it against a database of known vulnerable and rogue devices. This provides real-time identification and mitigation of internal network security threats, ensuring that unauthorized or compromised hardware cannot infiltrate your system.
The solution also empowers system administrators to define and enforce strict security policies. If a device breaches these pre-set rules, Sepio automatically triggers a mitigation process, blocking any rogue hardware and preventing potential security risks.
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 rendered the device completely useless—whether the employee posed a malicious or careless internal threat.
Just because many organizations struggle with wiping a device’s data remotely, that does not mean that there is not a way around the problem; and Sepio is the secret weapon.
Addressing Internal Security Threats with Sepio
See every known and shadow asset. Prioritize and mitigate risks. Talk to an expert to discover how Sepio’s patented technology can help you take control of your asset risks and enhance your internal threats cyber security posture.
