{"id":24678,"date":"2023-06-01T05:19:29","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T12:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syteca.com\/?p=24678"},"modified":"2025-05-12T08:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T15:49:57","slug":"insider-risk-management-fundamentals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syteca.com\/en\/blog\/insider-risk-management-fundamentals","title":{"rendered":"Insider Risk Management Fundamentals: 10 Best Security Practices for Implementation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Insider-driven security incidents are increasing in frequency. According to the 2022 Cost of Insider Threats Global Report by the Ponemon Institute, 67% of companies<\/a> experienced between 21 and 40 incidents in 2022, which is 7% more than in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insiders with authorized access can fall victim to hackers\u2019 attacks due to negligence or can deliberately compromise and severely damage the organization\u2019s data and systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we explore the fundamentals of managing insider risks and share 10 best practices to help you get started with insider risk management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are insider risks, and why is it critical to manage them?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Insider risks<\/strong> are negative consequences an organization may face as the result of actions by people with legitimate access to the organization\u2019s internal systems or data. These risks can arise when employees, contractors, or partners, either maliciously or negligently, handle the organization\u2019s assets in a risky and unsafe way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better understand what insider risks may look like in the corporate world, let\u2019s take a look at some possible scenarios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Insider<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t address and appropriately manage insider risks, they can escalate into real insider threats to your organization. But how do these two concepts differ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do insider risks differ from insider threats?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s first compare insider threat<\/em> vs. insider risk<\/em>. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they\u2019re not identical. It\u2019s essential to know the differences between these two concepts so you can accurately understand what to expect and how to efficiently plan your further actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insider risk<\/strong> is a broad concept that covers everyone who handles sensitive data or any kind of process in your organization. Anyone regardless of their job title and intentions can pose an insider risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, only a small share of individuals who commit malicious actions within your network pose an insider threat<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Difference<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Only about 1% of your insiders pose an insider threat and may actually cause security incidents in your organization. However, identifying that 1% is quite challenging. That\u2019s why, rather than focusing on insider threats<\/em>, organizations need to focus on insider risks<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Not every insider risk becomes an insider threat; however, every insider threat started as an insider risk.”<\/p>\nThe Rule of 3 for Proactive Insider Risk Management by Gartner (Subscription required)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Managing insider risks can help you either prevent them from escalating into insider threats or quickly identify insider threats if they have already appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the consequences of poorly managed insider risks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If an organization doesn\u2019t appropriately manage insider risks, it increases the chances of those risks turning into insider threats and, consequently, security incidents. The potential losses may be harmful to the organization and may include the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Best<\/figure>\n\n\n\n