U.S. officials confirmed last week that a member of the military photographed and uploaded more than 50 classified documents to a Discord server and other social media sites, again reminding us of the danger insider threats can present to any organization. According to the Associated Press, a member of the U.S. Air National Guard was arrested last week in Massachusetts in connection with the leak.

‍Insider threats are one of the biggest internal cyber threats to organizations because they are often detected too late, and the responsible individual has access to sensitive information that gets released or exposed. Insider threats can pose a significant concern for organizations of all sizes and industries because they can result in severe financial and reputational damage and even legal penalties.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is often considered the strictest regulation in the world for securing users’ personal data, with fines for non-compliance reaching more than €20 million. The GDPR applies to all organizations processing the personal data of European Union (EU) residents. Do you find it daunting to read through the complex articles of this regulation?

The costs associated with insider threats continued to rise in 2022. This is bad news for organizations that are already under financial pressure from the uncertainty of the economy. As interest rates continue to climb and customers become more conservative about how they spend, the last thing that any organization needs is to be putting out fires from security incidents coming from arsonists inside their own house.

When it comes to insider threats and cybersecurity in general, experts often discuss how to practice policies of containment, and use these to mitigate threats. One fundamental way to do this is through the process of network segmentation.

If cyber threats feel like faceless intruders, you’re only considering a fraction of the risk. Insider threats pose a challenge for organizations, often catching them by surprise as they focus on securing the perimeter. There is a bright side, however. Understanding the threat landscape and developing a security plan will help you to mitigate risk and prevent cyber incidents. When designing your strategy, be sure to account for insider threats.