- 15-Oct-2025
- public international law
Insider threat in cybersecurity refers to risks posed by individuals within an organization who have authorized access to systems and data but misuse their privileges either maliciously or through negligence. These threats are particularly challenging because insiders already have legitimate credentials, making detection and prevention complex. Insider threats can lead to data theft, sabotage, fraud, and damage to an organization’s reputation and finances.
Employees or contractors who intentionally steal, leak, or damage data to harm the organization.
Well-meaning employees whose carelessness or lack of awareness causes security breaches (e.g., falling for phishing attacks).
Insiders whose accounts or devices are hacked and used by external attackers.
Limit user access strictly to necessary resources based on roles.
Monitor unusual activities such as large data downloads or access at odd hours.
Educate employees about insider risks and safe practices.
Encourage prompt reporting of suspicious behavior.
Add extra verification layers to prevent unauthorized access.
Use software to monitor and block sensitive data leaks.
Conduct periodic checks of access rights and user activities.
Insider threats fall under unauthorized access and data protection laws like India’s IT Act 2000, GDPR, and others.
Organizations must maintain proper audit trails and demonstrate compliance during investigations.
An employee with access to confidential client data downloads sensitive files to an external drive with the intent to sell the information. Security monitoring detects unusually large downloads after business hours and raises an alert.
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