One of the most devious and often underestimated dangers in cybersecurity comes from within an organization. These dangers originate from individuals within the organization who have access to sensitive data and systems, making them potentially dangerous adversaries capable of causing significant harm. Understanding, identifying, mitigating, and preventing these internal security risks are paramount for safeguarding an organization’s assets and preserving its integrity.

What is an Insider Threat?

Insider threats are security risks posed by employees, contractors, vendors, or anyone who has access to an organization’s data or systems. Accidental or intentional insiders cause internal threats. An accidental insider could unknowingly cause breaches due to negligence, human error or falling prey to social engineering tactics. For example, an employee clicks on a link in a phishing email, causing a malware infection.

On the other hand, insiders can intentionally engage in data theft, sabotage, or intellectual property theft, driven by motives such as financial gain, revenge or espionage.

A good example took place in May 2022 when a Yahoo employee stole trade secrets after receiving a job offer from The Trade Desk, a competitor. Another example is that of an employee fired from Stradis Healthcare who hacked into the former employer’s network in March 2020 and deleted critical shipping data.

According to the 2023 Insider Threat Report by Cybersecurity Insiders, 74 percent of organizations say insider attacks have become more frequent. The same percentage of organizations also believe they are at least moderately vulnerable to insider threats.

Experts attribute the rise in insider threats to various factors, including the effect of economic instability leading to businesses focusing on revenue growth and leaving gaps in security investments. There also has been an increase in layoffs in the tech industry that can result in disgruntled ex-employees doing damage as they leave the workplace. Overworked employees also might cut corners that create security issues, such as configuration, system access or unused accounts. Insider threats are also made more complex as many organizations migrate their workloads to the cloud, introducing new challenges.

How to Identifying Insider Threats

Insider threats are difficult to detect. However, it helps to look out for compromise indicators such as inappropriate behavior. Here is a more specific list of red flags:

• Unusual access and log in, especially from an insider who doesn’t have certain access rights to data or systems.
• Abnormal network search activity for sensitive information on networks, intranets, databases, or applications.
• Unusual copying or downloading of sensitive information to an unauthorized destination such as email or removable media.
• Misuse of tools, either foreign or installed. Detecting unfamiliar tools on a system is a compromise indicator. However, a savvy insider may even use trusted enterprise tools to execute an attack. In such a case, behavior such as access to a system outside regular working hours or access from unusual locations could indicate a compromise.
• Unwillingness to comply with security policies. Employees who consistently disregard security protocols and policies might pose a risk to the organization’s security.

Mitigating Insider Threats

Proactive measures that can help mitigate insider threats include:

• Employee training and awareness: Conduct regular security awareness and training programs to educate employees about the significance of insider threats and their role in preventing them.
• Role-based access control: Implement a robust access control model that ensures individuals have access to only the resources required for their specific job roles, reducing the potential impact of an insider breach.
• Behavioral analytics: Employ advanced analytics tools to monitor user behavior and detect inconsistencies that could indicate suspicious actions.
• Develop clear exit procedures: these include the revocation of access privileges and retrieval of company-owned devices and sensitive information from employees leaving the organization.
• Continuous monitoring and adaptation: Insider threats keep evolving, necessitating ongoing monitoring and constant adaptation of new security measures.

Preventing Insider Threats

• Conduct comprehensive background checks and verify references during the hiring process to minimize the risk of malicious insiders entering the organization.
• Ensure employees have proficient skills in deploying and managing complex cloud solutions.
• Encourage open communication, foster mutual trust, and support employees to reduce the likelihood of disgruntlement.
• Extend security considerations to contractors, suppliers, and partners with access to the organization’s data or systems.
• Implement endpoint security solutions to monitor and analyze activities on user devices such as workstations or laptops.

Conclusion

While staying alert for cyberattacks from outside is critical, organizations must not forget that the most significant risk can come from inside the business. Even with the most comprehensive cybersecurity defenses against external hackers, failing to create proactive measures for internal security leaves critical assets open to hidden dangers within the organization’s walls.

Organizations such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provide information and resources to assist in developing new or improving existing insider threat mitigation programs.

Over the years, millions of individuals have been affected by data breaches, where their sensitive data is accessed by unauthorized cybercriminals or publicly exposed. A data breach can result in huge financial loss if stolen data is used to compromise consumer identity, which also can affect a credit score.

Unfortunately, there is a great number of people who don’t know what to do if affected by a breach. At the same time, there are those in the know who do nothing.

What is a Data Breach?

A data breach is a cyber security incident that exposes sensitive data such as names, contact details, bank details, Social Security numbers, etc.

Data breaches are the work of criminals who aim to obtain specific data. Criminals do this through various methods, including phishing attacks, malware attacks, targeted attacks, vulnerability exploits, and loss or theft of devices. However, data breaches are also a result of technical or human errors. For example, a misconfiguration error exposed the car location data of 2 million Toyota customers in Japan and overseas for 10 years; and the work of an insider led to Tesla’s massive data breach.

Unfortunately, data breach cases keep rising. May 2023 alone saw numerous breaches from different organizations, including healthcare organizations, education institutions, the transportation department, and even tech giants.

For companies, the consequences of data breaches are reputation damage, loss of consumer trust, intellectual property theft, financial loss, and fines due to failure to conform with data protection legislation. While cyber criminals mainly target organizations, individuals also experience identity theft and financial crimes. This especially happens when stolen data is sold on the dark web or publicly published.

What action can data-breach victims take?

Unfortunately, no one is immune from a data breach. However, victims can survive a breach with less disruption. Once a data breach has occurred, the U.S. breach notification law requires businesses or governments to notify those affected immediately after its discovery.

Although companies are responsible for securing customer data in their possession, customers also have a role to play in securing their data. Essential steps to take include:

• Being aware of any site claiming to be a data breach check site.
  Such sites could ask for personal information or ask a victim to click a link to verify their details. Hackers also take advantage of a breach and pose as the affected company to lure victims into clicking malicious links, primarily through emails. A user must, therefore, first confirm that a breach happened. This can be in the news or on the affected company’s website.
• Change passwords for accounts exposed.
  In most cases, affected companies will notify victims of their affected accounts, and their security team will provide instructions on how to stay safe. Such instructions include changing passwords on the breached site or any other account that uses similar login credentials.
• Set up two-factor or multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA).
  This extra security measure will require a one-time user code to log in to an account in addition to the login and password.
• Notify the bank.
  If financial-related data is stolen, such as credit card information, the bank must be notified immediately to freeze the cards.
• Credit freeze.
  Cybercriminals can use stolen data to open new accounts and take loans. To avoid a ruined credit score, individuals can request a credit freeze from major credit bureaus such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
• Monitor personal accounts for any unusual transactions.
  Although it depends on the type of data breach and exposed data, victims must look out for unauthorized transactions, including bank account transactions, medical bills, insurance claims, and tax refund claims.
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
  If criminals have already used personal data, filing an identity theft report will serve as proof to clear one’s name or dispute a fraudulent transaction.
• Practice cyber hygiene.
  These are practices that help individuals remain safe online. Aside from account security, consumers must use up-to-date software and operating systems, antivirus software, and avoid publishing too much personal information to minimize online footprints that fraudsters can easily access, such as on social media.

It is worth noting that data breaches are not detected immediately, which means that by the time users get notified, cybercriminals already have had access to the data for some time. And as technology advances, cybercriminals are taking advantage of new technologies, such as generative AI, for phishing attacks. This means that more data breaches may continue to be witnessed.

However, users can help prevent future data breaches by using strong passwords, being cautious of phishing scams, and regularly monitoring financial accounts.

Technology has greatly contributed to improving and streamlining everyday life. However, as technology advances, there is an increased reliance on digital tools powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Unfortunately, these technologies are also challenging the fundamental notion of human agency. As a result, there are rising concerns about humans losing the ability to make independent decisions.

What is Human Agency?

Human agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act intentionally and make choices that shape their lives. Although the human agency is influenced by various factors, including social, cultural, and environmental contexts, individuals should maintain the ability to exert some degree of control and influence over their lives. As far as technology is concerned, individuals must retain control and decision-making power. This calls for technologies that support humans in making informed decisions rather than controlling the decisions made.

Concerns Over the Effects of Digital Systems on Human Agency

The Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center conducted a nonscientific canvassing to gather expert views about the future of the human agency.

The experts were specifically asked, “By 2035, will smart machines, bots, and systems powered by artificial intelligence be designed to allow humans to easily be in control of most tech-aided decision-making that is relevant to their lives?”

Of the 540 experts from different fields, 56 percent disagreed with the statement, while 44 percent agreed. Some of the main themes raised by the experts who disagreed with the statement include:

• The agendas of commercial interests and governments will determine the future.
• The convenience that comes with automation makes users less vigilant over technology.
• AI technology’s complexity and rapid evolution can be overwhelming, making it difficult for users to assert their agency.

Common themes raised by participants that agreed with the statement include:

• Humans also will evolve with technology, and there is the expectation that AI and tech companies will be regulated.
• Expectations that businesses will protect the human agency to retain public trust and to keep ahead of the competition.
• Technology will allow varying degrees of human agency.

Key Considerations for Upholding Human Agency

Seeing that technology will keep advancing and more automated systems will be witnessed, it’s crucial to implement ways to help uphold human agency. Some considerations include the following:

1. Implement mechanisms that contest AI systems. An AI system is as good as the information fed to it. Therefore, it can be faulty or deliberately flawed, and there should be ways to request redress. This can be through AI policies that allow users to contest or rectify a decision made by AI systems.
2. Empower users through systems that include meaningful choices and controls, enabling users to decide how to interact with them. For example, a system should allow users to adjust preferences, customize settings and choose the features they want. This promotes a sense of ownership and autonomy over digital experiences.
3. Promote digital literacy and education to teach about technology capabilities and limitations. Technology users must develop critical thinking skills to exercise human agency and make informed decisions.
4. Integrate ethical principles into technology design and deployment. This can be done by creating guiding ethical frameworks that consider the likely societal impacts and consequences of digital systems.
5. Guarantee transparency and explainability in technologies and algorithms, providing users with accessible explanations of how decisions are made and what data is utilized. This transparency fosters trust in the technology and empowers individuals to make informed choices.
6. Establish accountability for the design, development, and implementation of digital systems. Holding individuals and organizations accountable for the impact of their technology helps maintain human agency and promotes ethical behavior.
7. Implement robust measures to safeguard individuals’ privacy and protect their data. This includes incorporating strong data protection mechanisms, giving users control over their personal information, and establishing clear consent mechanisms for data collection and usage, accompanied by transparent policies. Respecting privacy rights is paramount for preserving human agency in the digital realm.

Conclusion

The essence of being human lies in exercising control over the nature and quality of an individual’s life. However, technological advances such as artificial intelligence are raising concerns about this human ability. Humans are responsible for actively embracing and comprehending the possibilities and implications of living in a world where digital systems take over various tasks and processes. Instead of surrendering their agency, humans should view partnering with these digital systems as a means to supplement and strengthen their intelligence rather than surrendering it.