Insider Threat

An Insider Threat is a security risk originating from individuals who have authorised access to an organisation's IT systems, networks, applications or sensitive data. This can include current or former employees, external service providers and business partners. Security incidents may be intentional, such as data theft, sabotage or misuse of access privileges. However, unintentional actions such as misconfigurations, improper handling of credentials or accidental data disclosure can also create significant risks. Organisations can reduce insider risks through role-based access controls, the principle of least privilege, multi-factor authentication, logging, monitoring and regular security awareness training. Insider Threats are an important consideration in cybersecurity and risk management because legitimate access privileges can potentially bypass conventional security controls.