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Insider Threats

7/19/2018
12:20 PM
Jai Vijayan
Jai Vijayan
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6 Ways to Tell an Insider Has Gone Rogue

Malicious activity by trusted users can be very hard to catch, so look for these red flags.
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1. Attempts to Access Unauthorized Systems Keep an eye on employees or trusted outside users - such as a contractor - who attempt to access systems to which they don't have the rights or have never accessed previously. 'Watch for unusual patterns of access,' says Ken Spinner, vice president of field engineering at Varonis. 'Insiders will be on the hunt for information and will open files they don't need to do their job.' It is possible that these employees or trusted users may have been assigned to do research outside of their day-to-day roles. But they could also be searching for company financial data, intellectual property, and other important files, so keep an eye on any unusual access efforts, Spinner advises. Image Source: King Ropes Access via Shutterstock

1. Attempts to Access Unauthorized Systems

Keep an eye on employees or trusted outside users — such as a contractor — who attempt to access systems to which they don't have the rights or have never accessed previously.

"Watch for unusual patterns of access," says Ken Spinner, vice president of field engineering at Varonis. "Insiders will be on the hunt for information and will open files they don't need to do their job."

It is possible that these employees or trusted users may have been assigned to do research outside of their day-to-day roles. But they could also be searching for company financial data, intellectual property, and other important files, so keep an eye on any unusual access efforts, Spinner advises.

Image Source: King Ropes Access via Shutterstock

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Larry Larsen
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Larry Larsen,
 User Rank: Apprentice
7/31/2018 | 1:49:45 PM
Great Reminders
Jai, these are all great reminders on monitoring priviledged users and other trusted insiders.  The biggest issue I've seen on this topic in my career is the lack of willingness to consider such a user as a potential threat.  Users with nefarious intent may count on that to enable their activities.
Mark Coates
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Mark Coates,
 User Rank: Author
7/25/2018 | 1:04:34 PM
Understanding the Rogue Threat is Key to Security
Excellent education piece on malicious insiders' motivations and behavior patterns. As a member of Christy Wyatt's team at Dtex, we are helping organizations detect behaviors daily that reveal when an insider threat is active. Any business with concerns can use this piece as a guidepost.
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