Insider threats are a huge problem within businesses all over the world. You will find that the more you look, the more you find. This is why the world is a dangerous place for businesses and why nobody would blame you for thinking that no one can really be trusted, even the most loyal of employees.
Contents
Why are insider threats so common?
This is because insider threats don’t just have to be those with malicious intent. They can be people who are having a bad day, people who didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or people who are being bullied in the workplace or are experiencing very low morale.
What causes insider threats?
The very low morale mentioned above, bad training, and negligence are the top causes of insider threats. Actually, malicious employees are certainly in the minority, especially in comparison to negligent employees. These employees are so common that there are many ways that businesses can protect themselves against them.
So why do they still happen?
However, businesses are so often persuaded that this won’t happen to them and that their employees are the best of the bunch and that they are immune. Unfortunately, this mindset is often displayed in smaller businesses, which are far more vulnerable than they think. To learn more about what an insider threatcan do to businesses, read this article from Proofpoint.
What can be done to protect a business from insider threats?
There is a large number of ways that a business can be protected from an insider threat. However, a company might have to make sacrifices or reallocate its budget in certain areas and prioritize security over other money-making schemes. Businesses, especially the smaller ones, are reluctant to do this because they feel that it limits or slows business growth. However, it actually does quite the opposite. Here are some of the ways that a business can protect itself against insider threats:
#1 eDiscovery
eDiscovery can be a good way for businesses to detect and pick out suspicious emails when they feel that something might be wrong within their business or they feel that an employee might have malicious intent.
It is a good way for businesses to collect information and analyze data to make sure that their employees are doing all that they can to help protect their business. eDiscovery is good for businesses that are taking employees to court over leaking data or even bringing malware into the business on purpose.
#2 Training
Making sure that your employees are well-trained, especially in areas such as end-user education, can be really important for your business’s growth and can help the business keep ticking over smoothly. It means that even on their rough days, employees will still be able to work safely without posing a risk to others within the business or the business itself.
It can also be really useful if they do find themselves in a bit of a tight space as they will be able to confidently turn to others to get help, knowing that they will not be judged for making a very human mistake.