The Unseen Risk: When Employees Become the Weak Link in Corporate Security

In recent months, an alarming number of companies have fallen victim to insider threats, a risk that
remains underestimated by many in the IT field. But just how significant is the danger posed by our
own employees, and what measures can effectively safeguard against such vulnerabilities?

Despite robust security measures like firewalls, deep packet inspection, and geo-IP blocking designed
to fortify the network against external threats, the real danger often lurks within. The unsettling
reality hits when unauthorized data transfers and suspicious system access come to light.

Security Situation: Beyond Perimeter Defense

Relying solely on perimeter defenses is a strategy doomed to fail in today's complex IT landscapes.
Gone are the days of a centralized, uniform IT environment protected by a clear boundary between
the "safe" internal network and the "dangerous" outside world. The reality is that since employees
can access the network from almost anywhere threats now often originate from within, perpetrated
not by traditional hackers but by insiders ꟷ employees who, whether intentionally or not, become a
liability.
Reports from Cybersecurity Insiders and Securonix in their "2024 Insider Threat Report" reveal that
more than four out of five companies were victims of insider-caused cybersecurity incidents in the
past twelve months. Only 17 percent of respondents did not encounter any insider threats in 2024, a
sharp decline from the 40 percent who reported no internal attacks the year before. Furthermore,
one-third of respondents observed that the number of insider attacks remained constant, while
nearly half noticed an increase. StationX provides similar data, noting a 76 percent rise in insider
threats over the past five years, with a 28 percent increase in data leaks caused by insiders between
2023 and 2024.

Employee Errors: A Leading Cause of Security Breaches

Interestingly, not all security breaches stem from malicious intent. A whopping 88% of incidents are
caused or exacerbated by simple employee mistakes, with over half resulting from carelessness.
According to surveys by StationX, about every second employee admits to being "quite sure" or "very
sure" that they have made a mistake affecting IT security. Notably, the willingness to admit such
errors declines with age; while half of the 18- to 30-year-olds recognize their security-relevant
mistakes, only ten percent of those over 51 do the same. A common yet avoidable mistake involves
sending sensitive information to the wrong email address, accounting for 45% of data privacy
incidents. Meanwhile, one in four insider incidents is attributed to malicious actions by individuals
exploiting their access for nefarious purposes. One in two security experts believe that insider
incidents are harder to detect and prevent than external attacks.

Risk Reduction: Embracing the Zero Trust Model

Facing such daunting challenges, the question becomes how to effectively shield against insider
threats. The answer lies in the Zero Trust model, which operates on the principle of never trust,
always verify." This approach ensures that access is granted only after thorough verification,
significantly limiting potential internal threats.
Complementing Zero Trust, network segmentation divides the network into smaller, secure
segments, making unauthorized data access considerably more difficult. Monitoring and logging all
access attempts are crucial for identifying and investigating suspicious activities.
Implementing security awareness training and strict offboarding processes are also vital steps in
mitigating insider risks. These measures, while not foolproof, significantly enhance an organization's
defense against internal threats.

Explore the Zero Trust concept with NCP and fortify your defenses against insider threats.