Insider Threat

An insider threat is a security risk that comes from within your organization — employees, contractors, or business partners who have legitimate access to your systems and data. Insider threats can be malicious (intentional data theft, sabotage) or unintentional (accidental data exposure, falling for phishing, negligent handling of CUI).

Insider threats are particularly dangerous because insiders already have authorized access, making their activities harder to detect than external attacks. An effective insider threat program combines technical monitoring (user activity monitoring, DLP) with organizational measures (background checks, security awareness, reporting mechanisms).