Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Intellectual property (IP) is the intangible property belonging to a company, such as its designs, creative expressions, inventions, or trade secrets. Intellectual property theft leads to serious financial damage for a company, including decreased business growth and loss of competitive edge. Sometimes, companies aren’t even aware that their IP has been stolen, making tracking IP theft difficult. Even though it’s a federal crime, only a small percentage of all IP theft cases are reported.

Nowadays, financial organizations rely heavily on information and communication technology (ICT) to support remote operations. While ICT enhances operational efficiency and customer experience, it significantly increases cybersecurity risks in the financial sector. To mitigate cybersecurity risks related to ICT, the European Union (EU) has developed a specific regulation: the Digital Operational Resilience Act.

In today’s digital world, cyber threats are a constant concern for businesses of all sizes. According to a 2024 survey by the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), 74% of large and 70% of medium businesses reported experiencing a recent cyber attack. Data breaches, malware attacks, and phishing scams can cripple operations and damage your reputation.

Some of the potential indicators of an insider threat include users viewing data unrelated to their role, requesting access to privileged accounts and resources, downloading and transferring data, using unauthorized software and hardware, and unusual login behavior. Continue reading to learn in-depth about potential insider threat indicators to be on the lookout for in your organization and how to prevent them.

Could your employees be unintentionally putting your business at risk? While companies prioritize protection against external cyber threats, the often-overlooked unintentional insider threats can lead to significant financial and reputational risks for your business. These threats can come from simple human errors, such as accidental data sharing, misconfigurations, or falling victim to phishing attacks.

How safe is your business from an employee stealing data? Employee data theft refers to the unauthorized access, transfer, or misuse of a company’s confidential data by its employees. Whether driven by malice or negligence, this type of data theft poses a significant risk to your business’s security and reputation. As incidents of insider threats rise, it becomes crucial for companies to identify the warning signs and implement the necessary preventive measures.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes can fall victim to data breaches. Unfortunately, even with the best privacy and security measures in place, hackers are continually becoming more skilled at beating them. A well designed and implemented data breach response plan is essential if businesses are to minimize the effect of data breaches and protect their reputation. Not only that, but they can reduce the financial damage to the business and better position the organization for recovery.

The rising use of virtual environments (VEs) has transformed the ways we work, offering increased flexibility and accessibility. However, this shift also introduces new security challenges. Traditional security measures may not work as effectively in VEs, which creates an opportunity for insider threat actors to exploit vulnerabilities to steal sensitive data, disrupt critical systems, or commit fraud. This article reveals the importance of monitoring user activity in virtual environments.

In Q1 2024, Kroll observed SMS and voice-based tactics being used in phishing attacks, raising concern around the potential for deep fakes and AI technologies to further enhance the effectiveness of phishing attacks. Linked to this, one insider threat case investigated by Kroll in Q1 saw employee impersonation take place, another area in which AI-related technology could be especially impactful.

Already in 2024, nearly 10,000 publicly disclosed global data breaches affected hundreds of millions of user records. Apple, Meta, and Twitter all succumbed to data breaches in 2024 (and numerous times in the past), providing the public and its shareholders with a stark reminder that malicious activity constantly makes user data susceptible to cybercriminal activity, no matter the platform or level of password security.