Human Risk Quick Tips: Insider Threat Indicators

Identifying potential threats requires vigilance and proactive monitoring of key behavioral, technical, and organizational indicators. Business and departmental leaders across the organization – including security, human resources, and legal – should be aware of insider threat signals that arise through individual behaviors, interactions with IT and online business systems, and compliance with organizational processes and policies.

• Changes in work hours
  • Unexplained shifts in working hours or increased overtime may indicate unusual activity, or may be hiding suspicious activity, especially outside normal business hours.
• Frequent policy violations
  • Repeated disregard for company policies could suggest that an insider testing is boundaries or attempting to evade detection while engaging in malicious activities.
• Noncompliance with training requirements
  • Ignoring mandatory security or compliance training can signal a lack of concern for company protocols, or an attempt to avoid oversight.
• Increase in visits to job search sites
  • Unusual job hunting behavior may suggest an insider is preparing to leave or disengage from the organization.
• Increase in outbound email to competitors
  • If an employee is frequently sending emails to competitors, particularly with sensitive data, this could be a sign of corporate espionage or theft of proprietary information.
• Suspicious foreign contacts/travel
  • Unexplained contacts with foreign individuals or organizations, particularly from countries with known adversarial relations, can be a red flag for espionage activities or attempts to steal valuable information.
• Controversial social media activity
  • Employees displaying controversial behavior or sharing sensitive company information on social media might be engaging in purposeful damage to the company’s reputation or leaking internal secrets.
• Frequent complaints
  • A sudden increase in complaints, especially about management or operations, can be an indicator of dissatisfaction or a potential grievance that may turn into disruptive behavior.
• Hidden relationships with competitors or contractors
  • Secretive interactions with competitors or third-party vendors could indicate an attempt to leak sensitive information or coordinate external actions.

• Excessively large downloads
  • Large data transfers outside of typical patterns could indicate unauthorized data exfiltration or theft of intellectual property.
• Use of unauthorized devices
  • The use of personal or non-approved devices on the company network can lead to vulnerabilities and unauthorized access to company systems and data.
• Usage of log clearing software/methods
  • Attempting to clear system logs or erase traces of activity suggests an effort to hide malicious actions or misconduct.
• Frequent email attachments sent to personal accounts
  • Sending confidential files to personal email accounts can be a sign of intellectual property theft or preparation to leak sensitive data.
• Disabling security features
  • An employee disabling or bypassing security features like firewalls, encryption, or antivirus software is a strong signal of intentional misconduct.
• Accessing unauthorized systems
  • Attempts to access systems outside of an employee’s role or permissions may indicate the individual is gathering unauthorized information or preparing for malicious acts.
• Attempts to access data or resources outside of job role
  • Insiders accessing data or resources not related to their job functions could be trying to steal information or sabotage operations.

• Notice of resignation or termination
  • While not inherently suspicious, a sudden resignation or termination could be a precursor to malicious actions if it occurs under unusual circumstances.
• Declining performance reviews
  • A sudden decline in performance, especially if linked with unreported behavior changes, could indicate disengagement or an effort to sabotage the organization.
• Disciplinary action
  • Repeated disciplinary actions or internal warnings can point to employees who are testing boundaries or ignoring security protocols, potentially indicating risk of malicious behavior.
• Resistance to security upgrades
  • Insiders who resist necessary security updates or upgrades may be trying to avoid detection systems or protect malicious activities.
• Pattern of negligence
  • Consistent carelessness or failure to follow procedures, especially around security, can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities.
• Overdependence on a single vendor
  • Relying too heavily on one vendor, especially without adequate oversight, can create an opportunity for insider threats, such as collusion or manipulation of systems to benefit an external party.

Challenges in Identifying and Investigating Human Risk

Organizations often lack the internal resources required to effectively identify and investigate human risk threats. Legal and regulatory restrictions can also limit your ability to vet suspicious actors, uncover “outside-the-firewall” threats, and understand and remediate the damage caused. Attribution, while critical to solving human risk problems, is complex and requires specialized expertise, tools, and tradecraft.

Nisos Insider Threat Intelligence Solutions

Our solutions help you investigate and mitigate insider threats. We deliver the who, what, why, and how of human risk threats, including insider threats. By identifying patterns, monitoring ongoing risks, and conducting thorough investigations, we can pinpoint malicious actors and mitigate their impact. With comprehensive threat assessments, deep investigations into malicious actors, and monitoring for downstream impacts, we ensure that your organization can quickly address internal threats and external risks, preventing damage and safeguarding your critical assets.

About Nisos®

Nisos is the Managed Intelligence Company. We are a trusted digital investigations partner, specializing in unmasking threats to protect people, organizations, and their digital ecosystems in the commercial and public sectors. Our open source intelligence services help security, intelligence, legal, and trust and safety teams make critical decisions, impose real world consequences, and increase adversary costs. For more information, visit: https://www.nisos.com.