Most businesses think cyberattacks are an outside threat and do not put enough time and effort into securing their network from threats within their organization. But the truth is a large and growing number of data breaches are caused by insider threats. To remedy this problem, here are some ways you can strengthen your cyber defenses against internal threats.
What is an insider threat to your cybersecurity?
As the name suggests, an insider threat originates from either your organization or one you are partnered with. They could be malicious or just careless, but the danger is real all the same. Some common examples of insider threats include:
- Disgruntled employees purposefully leaking or destroying data
- Careless vendors or business partners with access to your network that inadvertently let threats in
- Employees with poor cybersecurity awareness training who leave network vulnerabilities open
- A cybercriminal who has acquired legitimate login credentials (password, etc.) and attacks you from the inside
Tips to strengthen your internal cyber defenses
Implementing these tools and best practices will help you prevent insider threats from accessing critical systems and data, as well as limit the damage should an attack succeed.
Set and enforce strict on- and offboarding processes
One of the classic ways an insider threat harms a business goes like this:
- A recently released employee holds a grudge.
- They decide to steal or destroy data vital to the company’s operations.
- Because they did not have their credentials immediately revoked and their logins cancelled, they still have full access and attack the company with ease.
To avoid this, set clear offboarding procedures that quickly remove access to all company apps and data whenever an employee departs the company under any circumstances.
Control user access
Another policy you can introduce to prevent insider threats is the principle of least privilege. This practice involves configuring your apps or introducing new tools to limit the access of your employees to sensitive apps and data.
Instead of giving everyone blanket access to everything, access privileges should only permit employees to access the specific apps and data that they need to perform their job. This way, if a low-level employee turns on you or has their device or login credentials compromised, the damage is limited.
Implement robust data protection tools
No solution or best practice is perfect 100% of the time, so you must contend with the possibility that your data will be destroyed or locked down by a cyberthreat, internal or otherwise.
It’s therefore vital to use automated data backups and implement a detailed disaster recovery strategy. Doing so gives your business a safety net as well as clear procedures to follow in case of a data loss incident. All employees have to do is follow the disaster recovery protocols to the letter to quickly restore lost data and get back to business as usual.
Regularly conduct employee security awareness training
As scary as malicious insider threats are, careless ones are far more common. Clicking on the wrong link, responding to the wrong email, or downloading the wrong file could spell disaster for your business. Your workforce needs to be able to tell the difference. This is where cybersecurity awareness training comes in.
Your training should be comprehensive with at least yearly refresher courses to stay up to date on threats. Topics covered should include:
- Safe web browsing habits
- How to use company cybersecurity tools
- Password best practices
- How to spot and report phishing attempts
- Remote work security best practices (if applicable)
Implement endpoint and user monitoring
Keeping an eye on every device and user in your network is impossible, but automated monitoring tools can do it for you. These tools detect suspicious activity and unauthorized access in real time, blocking threats and generating detailed reports.
For a comprehensive plan customized to protect your business against all manner of insider threat, contact the cybersecurity consultants at XBASE. We’ll utilize our decades of experience and success in protecting Ontario businesses to plan, implement, and manage a cybersecurity posture that includes tailored software tools and security policies.