Insider Threats: Focus On The User, Not The Data

By: Daniel Velez
 
Global cybersecurity spending will hit almost $77 billion in 2015, so why are there more high-profile leaks than ever?
 People are more connected than ever. Everyone uses email, social media, the web and instant messaging. Some channels are for business purposes, so IT governs and monitors them. Others are for personal use, even if they’re not sanctioned by the organization. A lot of that personal activity is innocent—parents communicating with children at school or making plans for later that day. It consumes some network resources, and most businesses are willing to write that off, but it brings with it the risks associated with the untrained or careless user.
On the other side of the equation are a very small number of people who present a serious insider threat. They intentionally engage in hostile or malicious activities, often working hard to cover their tracks. Their aim is clear: to inflict pain on IT systems and cause damage to the bottom line and reputation of an organization. Financial reports can easily show a price tag for IT systems and the hours it takes employees and consultants to fix them in the wake of an attack. It’s simple dollars and cents. But damage to the reputation of an organization and the toll it takes on customer goodwill is incalculable.
 
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