The Pure Play vs Bolt-on Difference
If you haven't delved into the field of insider threat risks recently, now is the time to reevaluate your stance. While insider risk has been a longstanding concern, its notoriety has surged in recent years. This resurgence can be attributed, in no small part, to the shift towards remote and virtual workforces, which has increased the movement of data while simultaneously obscuring its visibility. The cybersecurity sector is undergoing a notable transformation, moving away from an exclusive emphasis on external threats. Astonishingly, more than 91% of internal breaches are traced back to human error rather than the handiwork of skilled hackers. Indeed, over three-quarters of companies now consider this to be one of their most pressing challenges in the current year.
This shift in focus has given rise to the term "insider risk," which has rapidly become a prevailing buzzword in the cybersecurity domain. Consequently, virtually every security solution available today is eager to tout its capabilities in addressing "insider risk." However, in many instances, these hastily integrated components are merely refurbished versions of existing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) or user activity monitoring tools. Regrettably, such adaptations often lack the robustness required to effectively tackle one of the most intricate challenges out there.
While traditional cybersecurity measures remain crucial, the rise of insider threats poses a unique challenge that demands specialized attention. Companies can no longer afford to treat insider risk as a mere component within a generic security solution. Instead, they must embrace dedicated insider risk detection software, like innerActiv, to fortify their defense against the growing threat of internal breaches.
Let’s delve into why it's vital for companies to adopt specialized software for capturing insider risk data and identifying signs of insider threats. Below we’ll discuss three primary reasons that a specialized monitoring solution is necessary for true insider threat detection.
1. Capturing Targeted and Diverse Data Points and Use Cases
Effective insider threat detection requires a granular and comprehensive analysis of various data points, often involving intricate interpersonal dynamics, personal motivations, and nuanced patterns of behavior. These factors require a more specialized approach that goes beyond the capabilities of generic security solutions. Insider risk detection software must be designed to comprehend the subtleties of user actions, interpret hidden communications, and detect anomalies in day-to-day activities.
From employees' digital footprints, such as emails, file access, and web usage, to their behavior patterns and communication trends, innerActiv collects a full 360 view of each user's activities and actions over time. innerActiv’s flexible policy engine allows companies to adapt to the evolving threat landscape and can be tailored to collect targeted and necessary data, ensuring that the software remains effective and relevant over time. Along with this data, required forensics such as screen captures, shadow copies, and employee feedback is presented by the system to provide the complete context of actions and their repercussions. This expert knowledge of insider risk detection is indispensable in countering the unique challenges posed by internal threats.
2. More than a "Retro-Fit" Feature
While many security solutions offer an insider threat “component” or “module”, it's important to recognize that these components are often retrofitted into broader security frameworks. This means that they were not originally designed with insider risk in mind and might lack the specificity and depth required for effective detection. Insider threat detection is a specialized field that demands a dedicated approach.
By relying on blanket security offerings with add-on insider threat components, companies risk overlooking crucial indicators and vulnerabilities unique to internal threats. In contrast, specialized insider risk detection software like innerActiv is purpose-built to identify insider threats from the ground up. This targeted approach ensures that no aspect of potential risk is left unexamined, allowing for a proactive response to insider threats before they escalate.
Upon surveying the list below, it’s clear that few, if any, insider risk “modules” or “components” have the ability to detect risks in all of these representative insider threat use cases:
Malicious insider theft of proprietary or protected data – taking company IP to a new job, removing customer information, copying internal access information to share with third parties
Negligent misuse of protected data – unsecured data storage, communicating protected data insecurely, use of unapproved removable media
Accidental disclosures of protected data – emailing protected data to the wrong person, moving data to the wrong location
Compliance violations – accidentally or maliciously violating federal or industry-specific compliance initiatives.
Theft of time and resources – claiming unworked hours or misrepresenting time worked
“Gig working” – employees who may be working multiple jobs during the same day and claiming hours for both, causing an issue with claimed hours and often shared data between companies
“Slow quitting” – employees who may be reducing their hours worked or tasks completed over time while still claiming full time
Employee safety risks – use of violent language, threats, or sexual harassment taking place in the workplace or within company applications
Unapproved or high-risk applications or processes – unapproved downloads at endpoints, unknown or identified high-risk processes launching on endpoints, required applications being blocked or shut down by users
3. User-Focused and Endpoint-Based Analysis
When considering insider threat detection, understanding user actions at the endpoint level is paramount. While network-focused information provides valuable insights, most insider risk incidents and signs of insider threat originate from actions taken directly by users. Therefore, embracing user-focused and endpoint-based analysis is essential to provide real-time, first-hand analysis of potential threats.
Traditional security solutions often concentrate on monitoring network traffic and perimeter defenses, missing crucial details that only endpoint analysis can reveal. Specialized software like innerActiv recognizes this critical need and empowers companies to scrutinize user behavior at its source. By monitoring endpoints, innerActiv gains access to a wealth of information that holds the key to identifying early signs of insider risk.
Through user-focused analysis, innerActiv can pinpoint activities that might not raise alarms at the network level but could indicate potential threats when considered in the context of an individual's typical behavior. For instance, abrupt changes in an employee's file access patterns, unusual communication exchanges, or unauthorized data transfers can all be detected at the endpoint level. This real-time, granular analysis ensures a proactive response to insider threats, minimizing the risk of data breaches.
In Conclusion
As the insider threat landscape continues to evolve, embracing a targeted approach to insider threat detection is not just a best practice—it's a fundamental necessity. Specialized software solutions like innerActiv offer a user-focused and endpoint-based analysis approach, providing real-time insights into employee behavior and potential insider risk. This approach acknowledges that the vast majority of insider incidents and warning signs manifest at the endpoints, through actions taken by users themselves. Unfortunately, many existing cybersecurity software solutions such as traditional DLP systems and broad “blanket” security solutions are unable to meet this need with their limited, bolt-on insider threat components.
The future of effective insider risk detection lies in software solutions that prioritize user behavior and endpoint analysis, providing the real-time insights needed to thwart internal threats and protect valuable assets.
