Is your business one misstep away from a cyber-attack due to an insider threat?

If you’ve been following our blog, then you already know what insider threats are and how they affect your business.

As a reminder, insider threats are security risks that originate from within an organization. Essentially, an insider threat involves someone who is a part of your business network or has access to it.

An insider threat can present itself in two different ways:

1. A malicious insider — someone who intentionally steals or compromises your data
2. A negligent insider — someone who unknowingly puts your network at risk

So, how can you identify insider threats before they become a bigger problem?

Although accurately identifying insider threats can be tricky, there are some early warning signs you can watch out for to prevent a cyber-attack.

Keep a keen eye out for these signs so you can recognize unusual patterns early on.

First let’s look at the main types of warning signs and what you should look out for.

There are two main types of warning signs:

1. Behavioral
2. Digital

First, we’ll look at behavioral warning signs of an insider threat.

Behavioral Warning Signs of An Insider Threat

An employee or a stakeholder could be a potential insider threat if he/she exhibits any of the following behavioral patterns.

• Attempting to bypass security controls and safeguards
• Frequently and unnecessarily spending time in the office during off-hours
• Displaying disgruntled behavior against co-workers and the company
• Violating corporate policies deliberately
• Discussing new opportunities and/or the possibility of resigning

Now let’s take a closer look at the digital warning signs of an insider threat.

Digital Warning Signs of An Insider Threat

Some of the digital actions mentioned below are telltale signs of an insider threat.

• Accessing or downloading substantial amounts of data
• Attempting to access data and/or resources unrelated to his/her job function
• Using unauthorized devices to access, manage or store data
• Browsing for sensitive data unnecessarily
• Copying data from sensitive folders
• Sharing sensitive data outside the business
• Behaving differently from their usual behavior profile

If you notice any behavioral or digital warning signs, don’t ignore them. You might be at risk of an internal data breach.

How to Prevent an Internal Data Breach

While some cyber attacks are inevitable, the government expects you to do everything in your power to prevent them. If not, you will face regulatory action.

In the event of a data breach, you will be audited for compliance. At this time, you will need to present documented evidence of the preventive and corrective measures you took to protect your business’s sensitive data from insider threats.

Here’s what you can do to protect your data now and steer clear of potential penalties in the future:

• Identify, document, and o troll access to your sensitive data
• Define data privileges for employees and stakeholders based on their needs
• Build suitable infrastructure that monitors abnormal behavior and raises timely alerts
• Add insider threat parameters to your regular risk assessment
• Introduce a robust security awareness training program for all stakeholders
• Devise a strategy to investigate a breach caused due to insider threats

If you take these steps, they will go a long way towards significantly securing your business from insider threats. Plus, they will show regulators that you are committed to ensuring data protection.

Make Data Protection a Priority Now

Cyber threats are at an all-time high, and you simply cannot ignore the risks.

Make data protection a priority and rest knowing your network is secure. Every minute you wait is another minute you risk a cyber attack. Don’t wait to set up your cybersecurity strategy.

Connect with the cybersecurity consultants at Third Power IT to safeguard your network now. Visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com to get started.

The post Top Warning Signs & How to Prevent an Internal Data Breach appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

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