High-profile cyberattacks involving ransomware, malware, zero-day exploits, and nation-state intrusions dominate headlines. These attacks are bold, disruptive, and external, commanding attention from security teams to detect and stop these threats. Amid the noise, a quieter danger is gaining momentum from within: insider threats.
Often overlooked and notoriously difficult to detect, insider threats are becoming increasingly common and dangerous as organizations undergo layoffs, restructuring, and resource constraints. These shifts create a perfect storm for insider threats that businesses are unprepared to weather.
Why Insider Threats Go Undetected
Security strategies typically focus on perimeter defenses, based on the assumption that the most dangerous threats are located outside of an organization. This is not always the case. Insiders, whether acting maliciously or simply falling victim to social engineering attacks, can inflict just as much, if not more, damage.
Employees are typically granted access to sensitive data, systems, and applications. Organizations trust that these individuals will act responsibly and adhere to security protocols. The reality is that human behavior is unpredictable, making employees a point of vulnerability in an organization’s security. During periods of uncertainty, such as layoffs or organizational change, individuals may feel overwhelmed, disengaged, or frustrated. These emotional and situational pressures contribute to a growing risk of insider threats, which are often overlooked in security planning.
Real-World Consequences of Insider Risk
A recent example of an insider threat impacting business occurred in April, when a data breach at X exposed the information of nearly three billion users. This incident was reported as an insider job from a disgruntled employee during a wave of X layoffs, who exfiltrated sensitive data and leaked it on Breach Forums.
This incident underscores a major security vulnerability: the lack of control over user access during organizational transitions. When an employee exits, changes roles, or is let go, organizations must act quickly to revoke access, rotate credentials, and monitor for unusual activity. Failure to do so leaves the door open for insider threats to escalate into full-scale breaches.
It is important to remember that not all insider threats involve malicious intent. In many cases, employees inadvertently create security gaps by falling victim to phishing attacks. As attackers increase the sophistication of their techniques, using highly personalized emails or brand impersonation, it makes it harder for individuals to identify these attempts as malicious, leaving even seasoned security professionals vulnerable.
Troy Hunt, the founder of the website Have I Been Pwned? recently shared that he was targeted by a phishing email that led to unauthorized access of his subscriber email addresses. Hunt’s transparency illustrated a critical takeaway that, regardless of experience, anyone can be susceptible. Once threat actors obtain valid credentials, they can operate as legitimate users, moving laterally through systems and escalating access without detection.
Closing the Gap
Unlike external threats, insider activity doesn’t always trigger alerts. Most tools are designed to detect external anomalies or signature-based threats, not legitimate users with valid credentials. Without behavioral baselines or anomaly detection, these activities often go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Addressing these threats requires a more nuanced approach with deeper contextual awareness and vigilance beyond traditional boundaries. Organizations must establish clear protocols for access management such as regular credential rotation and immediate access revocation during offboarding. These should be standard practice during any personnel changes. Monitoring for unusual behavior is also key. This includes unexpected login attempts or times, large file transfers, or access to systems that fall outside of a user’s normal scope.
Assume breach also applies to internal users. Applying least privilege access, multi-factor authentication (MFA), network segmentation, and a data loss prevention (DLP) solution, can all aid in reducing the risk of insider threats. Safely testing legitimate insider threat tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) enables security teams to understand how their security controls perform when it comes to prevention and detection. Testing different TTPs against various assets, including crown jewel applications that may contain sensitive data, ultimately helps reduce overall business risk and minimizes damage and disruption in the event of an insider breach.
Training plays an essential role in a layered security strategy. Security awareness programs should not be a one-off effort. Continuous education about phishing and social engineering tactics helps reinforce best practices and keeps employees alert to evolving threats. Equally important is fostering a strong security culture where employees feel encouraged to report suspicious behavior or admit mistakes without fear of punishment. This type of culture promotes transparency and collaboration, making it easier to detect and respond to insider threats before they escalate.
Looking Ahead
Security teams are already stretched thin, operating under significant pressure. When combined with economic uncertainty and workforce turnover, insider threats are more likely to slip through the cracks.
Recognizing and preparing for these risks is a necessary part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Organizations must evolve their approach by incorporating behavioral monitoring, tightening access controls, and building a workplace culture that supports proactive risk identification. Cross-team collaboration between HR, legal, compliance, executives, and other key stakeholders plays a critical role because insider threats aren’t just a tech problem, they’re a people and process problem. By addressing both malicious intent and unintentional insider threats, businesses can reduce exposure and strengthen their overall resilience.
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