As the number of external cyber attacks rises, businesses forget that one of the biggest threats is within their offices. Wondering what is it? The greatest threat to the privacy of the firm is its employee. So you need to have more security measurements implemented besides the antivirus. By the way, if you’re still searching for that perfect solution, we advise you to read the best free antivirus review to find the tool that fits your needs.
Of course, it is very unsettling to think that one of your trusted workers or maybe a former one is trying to exploit corporate information for their profit. However, quite often, employees threaten the security of the company without even knowing that. Most of the data breaches caused by insiders are a result of a human error.
But regardless of the cause, you should understand what the signs of an insider threat are and how to manage the risk properly. Here is a quick guide that will help you prevent the data leak caused by an employee from happening.
What are the indicators of an insider threat?
If you notice any of these activities, chances are high someone is trying or already exploiting your corporate information.
Suspicious logins
Companies have a certain number of employees, and it doesn’t change that often and significantly. Therefore, there always is a specific pattern of logins during each workday. And if you notice that the number of logins has increased, chances are high you have an intruder.
Another thing to be concerned about is logins from unusual places. If all your employees work from the office, there usually are no reasons for them to enter the system from other locations. So if you spot logins from places that are out of the office, that’s the reason to be alarmed.
Finally, if you see lots of failed requests labeled as “test” or “admin” – consider that the sign of malicious activity as well. In general, any unusual patterns should be the reason for you to do something to prevent the data leak.
There are more users with advanced access
If you notice that suddenly more users can access restricted information, that’s bad news. It means that someone authorized and trusted granted advanced access to people who shouldn’t have it.
Loads of downloaded data
Data downloading patterns can also indicate malicious activity. If you see that there is a sudden increase in the downloaded information, especially it happens during unusual hours or from unknown locations, your corporate data is being exploited.
Some employee is acting weirdly
If a good worker suddenly began acting differently and oddly, that’s the indicator that something is wrong. Especially if this behavior aligns with signs we discussed above, this employee might be your reason for data leaks.
What to do?
First of all, go through the user database and try to spot unknown usernames. If you find any – delete them. Also, restrict the access to sensitive data – if an employee can work without advanced privileges, withdraw them. Users should have access only to the data that is necessary for their work daily. If you notice any odd patterns, that’s the reason for you to limit everyone’s access to corporate information and begin a thorough investigation. The faster you find the one who creates a data leak, the less harm will be done.
Also, establish a security information and event management solution. If you don’t have a security team in-house, look for companies that offer such services. SIEM solution will help you spot unusual activity quicker to minimize the potential risks.
Finally, be diligent when it comes to the monitoring of user activity. Unfortunately, insider threats take place often enough for companies to be seriously concerned about them. That’s why you need to monitor the activity consistently and keep an eye on your workers. Additionally, consult with cybersecurity companies and ask them how you can enhance the protection of your business. There is no such thing as too much security, especially considering that the number of hacker attacks and data leaks is constantly rising.
