The Growing Threat of Insider Attacks and How to Prevent Them.

We must have heard about "Insider attacks" one way or the other. In this blog post, we will share what it means and how to prevent them.

Insider attacks refer to security breaches caused by employees, contractors, or other trusted individuals who have authorised access to an organisation's systems, networks, or data.

These attacks can be particularly damaging because insiders typically have more high-level access and knowledge of an organisation's infrastructure and operations than external attackers do.

This attack has become a cause for concern for organisations of all sizes and types. Some common types of insider attacks include theft of sensitive data, sabotage of systems or networks, and unauthorised access to critical systems. These attacks can result in significant financial losses, damage to reputation, and legal liabilities.

Here are some steps that organisations can take to prevent insider attacks:

1. Conduct thorough background checks: Organisations should conduct background checks like criminal background checks, credit checks, and references on all employees, contractors, and vendors before granting them access to sensitive information or critical systems.

2. Implement Access Controls: Access controls should be put in place to limit the access of employees and contractors to sensitive information and systems. This includes implementing role-based access control (RBAC) and fewest privilege principles, which only grant employees access to the information and systems they need to do their jobs.

3. Monitor System Activity: Organisations should monitor employee activity on their networks and systems to detect any suspicious activity. This includes monitoring logins, file access, and other system activities. This can be done with the SmartComplyApp.

3. Educate employees: Organisations should educate their employees about the importance of cybersecurity and the risks of insider attacks. This includes training employees on how to identify and report suspicious activity.

4. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions: DLP solutions can help prevent data breaches by monitoring data flows and blocking unauthorised access to sensitive data.

5. Conduct Regular Security Audits: Organisations should conduct regular security audits to identify vulnerabilities and risks in their systems and networks.

6. Have an Incident Response Plan in Place: Organisations should have a well-defined incident response plan in place to respond quickly and effectively to insider attacks.

These steps assist organisations in minimising the risk of insider attacks and better protecting their sensitive information and critical systems from harm.

Business owners can leverage the SmartComplyApp, an automated AI and compliance platform, that rules out absolutely 100% manual checks and processes.

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