are insider threats always involved in malicious intention

By creating and expanding employee assistance programs (including conflict resolution units, counselling services, internal disclosure procedures), the risk of ambivalent and intentional prosocial InTs associated with divided loyalties, personal stressors, etc. Unintentional Insider Threat and Social Engineering - SEI Blog As ambivalence is an unstable state, it will likely lead to the intentional or unintentional pathways. Malicious Insiders: While accounting for only 26 percent of insider attacks, malicious insiders, such as disgruntled or angry employees, are the source of some of the most costly and difficult attacks to detect. This isnt breaking news. Greitzer, F. L., Strozer, J., Cohen, S., Bergey, J., Cowley, J., Moore, A., & Mundie, D. (2014). A., & Hitlan, R. T. (2004). Recognizing different types of insiders. The case of Reality Winner (discussed later) illustrates this point. The threat element is them doing negligent or malicious acts, which can result in harm to the business. For instance, if persuasive communications were directed toward Bishop (in conjunction with self deception) and he was more acutely aware of the fact that his actions were in conflict with his security and intelligence commitments to his employer, Bishops motivational pathway might instead reflect unstable ambivalent motivations. Successful InT frameworks will need to accurately identify situational factors that will increase the probability of InTs. Exhibit 4 outlines the predictive analysis for identifying disgruntled employees, one of the established personas. Reidy, D. E., Zeichner, A., & Seibert, L. A. Consequently, each one of these pathways can be considered an attractor state within a dynamical system defined by the interaction of individual, social and cultural factors, the strongest being the intentional and unintentional motivational pathways due to a desire to maintain consistency and act in a manner that conforms to how one perceives oneself (Figure 3). Khan, N., J. Houghton, R., & Sharples, S. (2021). Embezzlement: Pathological basis. When an individual becomes aware of discrepancies between attitudes and behaviors (A1/B1, A2/B2), any perceived differences (B2 A1) produce a negative affective response (cognitive dissonance) due to an inconsistency in maintaining a coherent self-image. Thus, interactions between these factors will likely be a significant determinant of InT behaviors. Negligent or co-opted insiders are easy for companies to understand; through poor training, middling morale, or pure carelessness, usually reliable workers can expose the company to external risks. Moreover, group norm violation and identification with other groups are likely defined by a bi-directional process. In that cybersecurity threats evolve rapidly, reliance on heuristics is likely to lead to frequent, minor violation of security policies. Keep ransomware and other threats at bay while you secure patient trust. Development of a measure of workplace deviance. Keeney, M., Kowalski, E., Cappelli, D., Moore, A., Shimeall, T., & Rogers, S. (2005). In 1999, a far-fetched movie about a dystopia run by intelligent machines captured our imaginations (and to this day, remains my favorite film). Understanding who represents a risk to the organization based on role, access to information, and more is critical to understanding, protecting against and monitoring potential threats within your organization. Some companies lost hundreds of millions of dollars. For instance, a report by Verizon (2020) suggests that 30% of breaches were caused by insiders, with phishing (22%) and a variety of malware attacks including password dumpers and spyware being quite common (18 and 30%, respectively). (2022). Moreover, when individuals believe social norms are violated, they feel permitted to engage in antisocial behavior toward the offending party (i.e., virtuous violence; A. P. Fiske & Rai, 2014). For these reasons, our framework also incorporates ambivalence: individuals might wish to stay in an organization due to continued income and job security, however, if they are experiencing personal stressors they might engage in lower-frequency and lower-intensity behaviors to reconcile their divided loyalties, e.g., small leaks of information deemed to be of limited importance. Insider Threats in the Work from Home Age - Infosecurity Magazine Figure 3. On attempting to evaluate claims of damage to national security, see Gioe and Hatfield (2020). For instance, A. P. Fiske (1991; A. P. Fiske & Rai, 2014) identified four relational models (idealized exchange norms) that translate into different moral motivations (Haidt & Graham, 2009). Egan, M., Matvos, G., & Seru, A. In the absence of sharing an understanding of the motivation or situational factors, these individuals are likely to be classified as InTs or traitors within an organization. Boyle, E. H., Forsyth, D. R., Banks, G. C., & McDaniel, M. A. For instance, from an organizational perspective, whistleblowers reflect an InT while from the insiders perspective, they are adhering to the norms of society. Motivational taxonomies are often represented as insider archetypes or profiles. Risk perceptions of cyber-security and precautionary behaviour. An empirical and theoretical critique of a recently proposed general theory of crime. Ideally, as whistleblowers are motivated to reduce harm or promote public good with any personal gain or public fame (or defamation) being incidental, they will adhere to the available mechanisms of a society to address their concerns (e.g., ombudsman, integrity commissioners, legal system). Behavioral confirmation of everyday sadism. As studies of workplace incivility illustrate, understanding employee motivation is key to understanding CWB (Andersson & Pearson, 1999; Cortina et al., 2001). To create a microsegmentation, the first step is to understand the business capabilities or information most important to protect. What Is Zero Trust and Why Is it So Important? Rejection / negative evaluation by in-group, positive evaluation by out-group members, Conversion to belief system that occupies non-dominant position within society. But their effectiveness increases significantly when combined with more nuanced approaches, like microsegmentation, prediction, and direct cultural engagement. As we explore below, prominent Insider Threat (InT) cases in the U.S., such as that of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, raise issues concerning the influence of personality traits and values, social and cognitive processes, and organizational structure and climate (Cole, 2015; Fidler & Ganguly, 2015; Hu et al., 2011; Scheuerman, 2014; Verble, 2014). While each organization must make its own trade-offs between privacy and risk, we believe our approach will make such trade-offs easier to navigate than traditional programs. Whistleblowers can be defined as those individuals whose primary and principal motivation is to protect a larger group, i.e., the public, society (Dworkin & Baucus, 1998; Hersh, 2002). We then use cases of InT to illustrate how these factors might contribute to InT more generally. For instance, omitters were defined as individuals who engage in CWB because of failures of self-regulation, failing to consider the consequences of their actions in the absence of others. However, multiple social identities (e.g., partner, friend, citizen, soldier) can develop independently, leading to the maintenance of contradictory attitudes and behaviors across situations (Gaertner et al., 2012; Sedikides & Brewer, 2015). Thus, while typologies help classify individuals for the purposes of monitoring the prevalence and incidence of InT and inter-organizational communication, categories are ultimately products of individual factors, their associated motivations, and their interactions within an organizational context (Funder & Colvin, 1991; Furr & Funder, 2018; Mischel & Shoda, 1995). In their work, Shaw and colleagues consider InT as a pathological response rather than a result of normal cognitive, social, and organizational processes, claiming that [n]ormal and well-adjusted people do not commit hostile insider acts (italics added) rather a troubled employee [can turn] into a danger to the organization and the people who worked in it, (Shaw & Sellers, 2015). The dark side of the insider: Detecting the insider threat through examination of dark triad personality traits. More generally, Andersson and Pearson (1999) note that such an approach in I/O psychology ignores motivation. (2018). How Shoddy Machine Security Can Topple Empires, Assess Insider Threats by Asking 6 Key Questions, Australias Growing Focus on Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity in 2023, Cloud Identity Security: It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken, ChatGPTs Role in the Evolution of Application Development, AI, ChatGPT and Identity Securitys Critical Human Element, Quantum Computing Is Coming Here are 4 Ways to Get Ready, How to Map Identity Security Maturity and Elevate Your Strategy, LTT Attack Targets Session Cookies to Push Crypto Scam, Protect Passwords, Dont Just Manage Them: A Game Plan for CIOs and CISOs. Next, companies can use identity-and-access-management (IAM) records, as well as organizational and HR information, to determine which groups and individual employees have access to those assets. Zimmerman, M. (2014, September 19). Giacalone, R. A., & Greenberg, J. Three Levels of Analysis. Killgore, W. D. S., Cotting, D. I., Thomas, J. L., Cox, A. L., McGurk, D., Vo, A. H., Castro, C. A., & Hoge, C. W. (2008). In these ambivalent cases, MAP-IT highlights the need for a multilevel analysis that considers not only individual factors, such as personality traits and stressors, but also cognitive, organizational, and sociocultural factors, which together constitute the motivational foundation behind InT. Second, differences in interpersonal norms and interpersonal processes can also lead to increases in the likelihood of norm violation within any group. (2021). The Critical-Path Approach. Toward a unified model of information security policy compliance. Yet as recent headlines show, the insider threat is very real and cannot be ignored. Someone who has some level of access to the internal workings of an organisation. In his contact with an undercover FBI agent posing as an agent of the PRC, Orr stated that he was the foremost expert on attacking the computer network and that he could destroy U.S. military satellites for a financial reward. Burns, A. J., Roberts, T. L., Posey, C., & Lowry, P. B. Finally, due to a combination of atypical personal and situational factors, the number of ambivalent insiders will also be relatively uncommon, but significantly greater than malicious behavior. "CyberArk delivers great products that lead the industry.". These results suggest that there are multiple motivational pathways that can create InTs. Between 2018 and 2020, there was a 47% increase in the frequency of incidents involving Insider Threats. Similar observations have been made in the context of organizational deviant behavior: While workplace violence might be rare, uncivil behavior is common (Cortina et al., 2001) relative to workplace bullying (Nielsen et al., 2010). There must be multiple layers to identify, protect, detect and respond to insider threats. For example, a developer might misconfigure a companys Simple Storage Service (S3) buckets, or someone might lose a hard drive carrying sensitive data. In. 18 Smart-City Technologies That Will Genuinely Improve Urban Living, SPO Is Making A Big Step Forward For Accountable Programmatic In 2023, The Top Habits Of The World's Best Managers, How To Foster Communication Between Developers And Marketers, How To Evaluate An On-Premise ERP Remodel Versus Buying New, 7 Trends To Watch As DevTools Move To The Cloud. (2013). Insider Threats Are Not Always Intentional | Proofpoint US High concern w/ self-presentation/perception, High stress / attentionally demanding environments. (2012) found that while individuals high in Machiavellianism and psychopathy were more likely to demonstrate poor performance, together all three traits were strongly associated with CWBs, e.g., harassment and bullying, loafing, withdrawal, and sabotage. Cole, D. D. (2015). Sakurai, K., & Jex, S. M. (2012). Even Wikipedia defines Insider Threat as, " a malicious threat to an organization that comes from people within the organization, such as employees, former employees, contractors or business associates, who have inside information concerning the organization's security practices, data and computer systems. When individuals become aware of inconsistencies in multiple values, attitudes, or behaviors they maintain, they experience negative affect (or, cognitive dissonance), which people attempt to reduce or eliminate. Careless employees, who lack training and basic cybersecurity awareness, intensified by the extensive acceptance of hybrid and work-from-home models, are involved in more than 50% of insider threat cases. Unintentional InTs are evidenced in a wide variety of events varying from technologically sophisticated methods such as phishing attacks to simple involuntary disclosures in public fora (Cho et al., 2016; Greitzer et al., 2019; Halevi et al., 2013). breaches we studied had a substantial insider component (Exhibit 1). Here, we have presented several case studies to illustrate the three motivational pathways. Expert guidance from strategy to implementation. Storytelling With ConfidenceConnecting Business And People. Bishop (59-year-old) met his girlfriend (27-year-old) at a conference in 2011, divorcing his wife in 2012 while concealing the fact that his girlfriend was a Chinese foreign national. When computer monitoring backfires: Invasion of privacy and organizational injustice as precursors to computer abuse. Kandias, M., Galbogini, K., Mitrou, L., & Gritzalis, D. (2013). For these purposes, contractors and vendors are also considered employees; many of the largest cases in recent memory have trusted third parties at their center. If one accepts Bishops justification at face value his motivational pathway towards InT appears largely unintentional, presumably the product of personality traits and life circumstances which might have made him susceptible to amorous manipulation. For instance, they might include personal financial stress, disgruntlement over lack of promotion, or flight risk due to poor management. Crucially, factors associated with unintentional behaviors and intentional disclosure appear to be partially dissociable (Schoenherr, 2022a). Examples of behaviors that are associated with CWB, norm violations, and incivility that likely have a relationship with InT. PDF INSIDER THREATS: HEALTHCARE PRIVACY & SECURITY - HCCA Official Site Tessian Cloud Email Security intelligently prevents advanced email threats and protects against data loss, to strengthen email security and build smarter security cultures in modern enterprises. This is never more true than when it comes to monitoring their use of communications systems such as emaileven corporate email. What Is an Insider Threat | Malicious Insider Attack Examples | Imperva (2019). Howley, K. (2017). Similar situations can arise with the transmission of other organizational resources (e.g., money) as well as accidentally downloading malware. These include failing to change passwords, checking to verify that physical entrances are closed, logging-off of a computer, updating software, opening emails or attachments from unknown senders, and failing to report certain international trips or contact with foreign nationals. McCormac, A., Zwaans, T., Parsons, K., Calic, D., Butavicius, M., & Pattinson, M. (2017). From initial appearance to sentencing: Do female defendants experience disparate treatment? By identifying employees that have characteristics associated with unintentional InT (e.g., low conscientiousness, high neuroticism), insider threat programmes can more effectively develop and target training programs. Addressing InTs requires an understanding of human factors (Greitzer, 2019; Schoenherr & Thomson, 2020). Insider threats are an updated version of the wolf in sheep's clothing - the people we rely on to safeguard systems and data can sometimes be the ones who pose the greatest risk. For instance, studies have found that high conscientiousness and agreeableness are associated with greater adherence to cybersecurity practices (McCormac et al., 2017). In this way, we suggest that InTs can be caused by normal interpersonal processes. Whats more, it was not mostly malicious behavior, the focus of so many companies mitigation efforts. In their guide to insider threats, CERT describes the classification of malicious insider activities: Gioe, D. V. (2014). Some leading cybersecurity teams are using a different approach, built on three pillars: Rather than going immediately to wholesale monitoring, we believe that organizations should take a much more nuanced approach, tailored to their information assets, potential risk impacts, and workforce. The vulnerability is not Snowden; its everyone who has access to the files. Unsurprisingly, there is growing recognition that InT does not represent a single critical path defined by malicious intent (cf. In the case of ambivalent InTs, their mixed motivation means that they can be influenced by factors associated with both the unintentional and intentional pathways. (2009). Opinions expressed are those of the author. In contrast, prosocial InTs that seek to help other groups, will likely be motivated by the norms of another group or the safety of members of that group. 5 Altmetric Metrics Abstract Cyber security is vital to the success of today's digital economy. Although undoubtedly important, our emphasis on the ambivalent pathway highlights the complex set of motivations beyond threat perception and social role as the principal motivators for adhering to security policies and protocols (e.g., Moody et al., 2018). A damage assessment framework for insider threats to national security information: Edward Snowden and the Cambridge Five in comparative historical perspective. (2012). In 2013, when Metsavas allegedly wanted to stop spying, GRU[15] handlers recruited his father, ensuring that he continued cooperating. Riemer, S. H. (1941). Multiple Approach Pathways to Insider Threat (MAP-IT). An Ontology for Insider Threat Indicators. Typically, the insider exhibits malicious behavior with intent, but sometimes, they are unaware of their actions are directed by an external threat actor. (2004). To this end, InT detection requires that we take a sociotechnical perspective (e.g., Greitzer et al., 2019) and consider how humans, technology, and social organizations interact to address these concerns more effectively. The surreal case of a C.I.A. While it is not clear whether Lee and Orr were driven by prosocial, antisocial, or asocial motives, the intentional motivational pathway towards InT appears obvious given the undoubtedly catastrophic harm to U.S. national security their actions might lead to. First, it creates a clearer understanding of risk; not all insider-threat events are created equal. Insider Threat Definition. For instance, use of prosocial (whistleblowers) and antisocial (traitor) insider categories when referring to these individuals illustrates how stereotypes threaten to override measured consideration of the motivations and social-cognitive processes that give rise to InT behaviors, possibly complicating InT detection. In that many individual, social, and organizational factors can result in numerous possible pathways to InT, we sought to identify three fundamental motivational pathways (Figure 1). Perhaps the federal governments insider threat program for DOD contractors, as discussed recently by Krebs, could serve as a model for organizations that support other critical infrastructure verticals. Kahneman, D., & Klein, G. (2009). Posey, C., Bennett, B., Roberts, T., & Lowry, P. B. 1 Van Zadelhoff, Marc. Goulette, N., Wooldredge, J., Frank, J., & Travis, L., III. In a recent review, Homer (2019) provides support for the contributions of these three factors, with 27 of the 33 available studies providing evidence for all three factors. If they are trusted and continue to access the same resources (e.g., material, informational), the use of techniques like anomaly detection might be especially problematic. Cho, J. H., Cam, H., & Oltramari, A. What Are Insider Threats and How Can You Mitigate Them? An insider threat is leaked or misused data thatwhether released accidentally or purposefullycould be used in malicious ways or viewed by individuals who shouldn't have legitimate access. Security and privacy in online social networking: Risk perceptions and precautionary behaviour. Dissonance reduction strategies are adopted to reduce discrepancy, leading to attractor states inside or outside an organization.
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