Insider threats: cyber crime from within
12th May 2025
40% of companies reported more insider-related incidents:* with the threat on the rise, how can you keep your business safe?
If you’re a business owner, you’d like to think you can trust your employees, right? That is why you hired them, not just because they have the necessary skills, but because you’ve spoken to them, judged their characters and determined they have what it takes to represent you.
However, you may be surprised how many cyber security incidents are result of the actions of staff within a business, whether accidentally or on purpose, sabotaging systems from within. Here are the types of threat to look out for and what you can do to mitigate the issue:
Malicious insiders – intentionally misuse their access to cause harm to your organisation. This may involve leaking or stealing data or sabotaging systems.
Corporate espionage – similar to malicious insiders, these individuals are recruited by rival companies to gather information from within, using it to gain a competitive advantage.
Negligent insiders – employees who accidentally cause breaches due to carelessness. This could be falling for phishing scams, misconfiguring systems or losing devices.
To counteract these insiders, we recommend regular training: the more aware of the consequences of a cyber-attack, the less likely it is that one will occur. Put any sensitive information behind extra security layers, ensuring that you closely monitor anyone with access to sensitive data.
Also, and this is a simple thing: get to know the people you work with. If someone seems disgruntled or out of place, find out why and make efforts to resolve the situation before it can escalate.
Additionally, if an insider attack should occur, you need a plan in place for a quick response: consider talking to Interfuture Security, and keep your data secure.