The term “insider threat” is commonly used within
the cyber security and information security industries, referring
to a risk posed by individuals within an organization who have
access to sensitive information and who may intentionally or
unintentionally compromise that information. These individuals can
be direct employees or contractors, staff from service providers or
business partners, or even customers. This type of threat can be
particularly difficult to detect and prevent, as the individuals
involved may have legitimate access to the information and may not
be acting overtly maliciously.
Insider threats can be costly
The Ponemon Institute's "Global Report on Insider
Threats" found that the cost of an insider threat to an
organization can be significant. According to the report, the
average cost of an insider threat incident for an organization is
$8.76 million, with the cost of more severe incidents averaging
$11.45 million. Additionally, it can take up to
