Changing the game: insider threat intelligence from Clearswift

As ever more high profile attacks are being linked to employees, it is becoming clear that the insider threat is becoming a bigger and startlingly real issue for companies.

A recent study by Clearswift found that almost 75% of security breaches originate from within a business’ own networks, but that 28% of security professionals believe that board level executives do not view internal threats as an issue until an attack occurs.

What can businesses do to prepare for the insider threat? Over the next few months, Clearswift’s team plan to delve deeper into insider threats than ever before, conducting new research and utilising new resources. They believe that by having this detailed intelligence around insider threats, businesses will be able to formulate a game plan for combatting them, and this is applicable to both honest mistakes and malicious attacks.

Clearswift have released new statistics which reveal that a third of employees would be willing to sell their company’s critical information, including company patents, financial records and customer credit card details, if offered the right price. In fact, 25% of those surveyed admitted they would sell company data for just £5000 – the equivalent of a luxury family holiday or less than three months average wage. Some respondents would even sell the data for as little as £100!

To criminals, competitors and even other employees, this data could provide the perfect way to cause damage to an organisation’s finances, morale or reputation. While people are generally taking security more seriously – after all, 65% of employees did say they wouldn’t sell company data at any price – there is still a significant group of people who are willing to profit from selling information that doesn’t belong to them. This could be worth millions of pounds to the right people (or the wrong people, depending on the way you look at it!).

Since only 29% of people think that company data is their responsibility, business leaders will need to look at ways to stop simple mistakes happening within their organisation and to identify potential threat areas within their network. It is simply not good business practice to live in fear of your employees, especially as the vast majority can be trusted. Clearly, getting the balance right is a challenge, but truly understanding where the problems originate from, combined with advances in technology which can adapt to respond differently to different threats, can really change the game here.

Download Clearswift’s simple infographic now to understand ‘What is your employees’ price’

For more information about Clearswift’s game changing DLP technology, contact your SCC account manager, call 0121 281 8618 or e-mail [email protected].

This story has been adapted from the original Clearswift blog, published here.