The Top Insider Threat Indicators & How to Safeguard Your Organization

In the realm of cybersecurity, insider threats are like the horror movie call that comes from inside the house; it’s unexpected and incredibly dangerous. According to the Ponemon Institute, 55% of insider threat incidents were due to human error. This is a top cause of breaches and most organizations realize that cybersecurity awareness training is crucial to reducing these errors (check out our blog on how to turn your employees into a human firewall for more details). However, this same report found that 25% of insider threat incidents involved criminal or malicious insiders. Unfortunately, many organizations are not ready for malicious insider attacks. Considering the level of access and information available to team members, this is a serious concern. So, let’s dive into insider threat indicators and how to proactively protect your organization.

Understanding Malicious Insider Threats

Insider threats encompass any malicious actions by individuals within an organization that can compromise your security. These malicious insiders may be employees, contractors, or even former staff with lingering access to your organization’s resources. While the motivations behind insider threats vary—ranging from financial gain to grievance-driven actions—the consequences can be devastating, including financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. Some ransomware gangs actively advertise large paydays for employees who are willing to execute ransomware from inside an organization. One of the most notable public examples of an attempted paid ransomware attack was when a Tesla employee was offered $1 million to install ransomware on the company’s network. Fortunately for Tesla, the employee reported the criminal’s offer and worked with the FBI to identify the attacker.

Tesla Faces Malicious Insider Attack

Besides unleashing malware or ransomware, malicious attackers can also exfiltrate data. Tesla experienced a data breach in 2023 that exposed personal information and sensitive records of over 75,000 current and former employees, as well as sensitive intellectual property such as vehicle malfunction and crash reports. The breach was attributed to two former employees. They misappropriated confidential information in violation of Tesla’s IT security and data protection policies and shared it with a foreign media outlet. This exposure posed significant risks, including potential identity theft and privacy violations for the affected individuals, and was damaging both financially and from a public relations perspective. The breach undermined trust in Tesla’s data security measures and highlighted vulnerabilities in the company’s products and internal controls.

Top Malicious Insider Threat Indicators

Now that we’ve discussed examples of these malicious insider attacks, let’s dive into the insider threat indicators that can help you mitigate these risks. Your team should be on the lookout for the following insider threat indicators:

1. Unusual Access Patterns. Be alert for employees accessing files or systems outside their usual scope of work or during odd hours, as this can indicate an attempt to avoid detection. For example, accessing sensitive financial data when their role is unrelated to accounting could signal malicious intent and is one of the top insider threat indicators. Also, sudden interest in confidential or restricted data unrelated to their role might point to reconnaissance activities as a precursor to theft or sabotage.
2. Data Transfer Anomalies. Watch for high-volume downloads of sensitive data to external devices or cloud platforms, as these can be strong indicators of data exfiltration. These actions may be motivated by intellectual property theft or competitive espionage. Additionally, be on the lookout for unauthorized emails containing confidential information to personal accounts, as this often precedes insider data leaks.
3. Excessive Privilege Requests. Repeated attempts to gain administrative or elevated access rights without valid business justification can indicate an insider’s intent to misuse access for unauthorized activities. Such requests often signal reconnaissance, where individuals aim to escalate their privileges for future exploitation.
4. Collusion Indicators. Don’t forget to look for obvious insider threat indicators such as frequent, unexplained interactions with competing organizations, visits to dark web sites or marketplaces, or suspicious communications that can suggest collaboration to exploit sensitive information.
5. Frequent Policy Violations. Be suspicious of consistent failure to follow security protocols or bypass security controls. For example, if an employee is trying to bypass firewall security controls they could be planning and preparing for a larger breach.
6. Behavioral Changes. Stay alert for employee mood changes. Sudden disengagement, irritability, or significant changes in attitude toward the organization can signal dissatisfaction or brewing resentment, which are common precursors to malicious insider behavior.
7. Suspicious Resignation Behavior. Be vigilant in protecting your organization’s data when an employee resigns. Watch for signs that the employee is copying or transferring sensitive data in the weeks leading up to their departure.

Recommendations for Reducing Insider Threat Risks

Mitigating insider threats requires a proactive approach, combining technology, policies, and cultural initiatives. You should:

1. Implement Robust Access Controls. Use an Identity and Access Management Solution and/or implement the principle of least privilege to ensure employees only have access to the data and systems necessary for their roles. This minimizes the risk of misuse or accidental exposure of sensitive information. Regularly audit access permissions to revoke unnecessary rights, especially for employees who change roles or leave the organization.
2. Deploy Advanced Monitoring Tools. Leverage user and entity behavior analytics to identify unusual patterns, such as access anomalies or data transfer spikes. These tools use machine learning to differentiate between normal and suspicious activities and can provide automated alerts that can help security teams act swiftly to investigate and contain potential threats before they escalate.
3. Foster a Culture of Security Awareness. Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training sessions to help educate employees to identify external and insider threat indicators. You should also encourage a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting all suspicious activities without fear of retaliation.
4. Enforce Offboarding Processes. When an employee leaves the organization, ensure all access is promptly revoked. This includes deactivating accounts, collecting company-issued devices, and ensuring former employees do not have residual access. During the exit interview, consider gently reminding the former employee of any non-disclosure agreements.
5. Create Transparent Reporting Channels. Employees can be hesitant to report colleagues for suspicious activity for fear of being wrong. Establish anonymous reporting mechanisms for employees to flag suspicious behavior without fear of retaliation. This encourages a proactive approach to threat detection and increases your ability to catch insider threat indicators.
6. Utilize Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Solutions. Employ DLP tools to monitor, detect, and prevent unauthorized data transfers, whether to external devices or cloud services. These tools are essential for identifying and blocking potential data leaks. Ensure these solutions are integrated with other security systems to create a comprehensive defense against insider threats.

We hope you found these insider threat indicators helpful! By understanding insider threat indicators and putting in proactive prevention controls, your organization can protect your assets, reputation, and bottom line. Please contact us if you need help creating policies, implementing security controls, or conducting technical testing or with employee or IT cybersecurity training. Our expert team is ready to help!