Understanding and Mitigating Insider Cybersecurity Threats

Insider cybersecurity threats can wreak havoc on your business or organization’s critical operations. Understanding how and why they happen is key to finding solutions to keep bad actors from accessing your private information and systems. 

Here, we are sharing everything you need to know about these types of threats and how the right security measures can help your organization successfully mitigate insider risks. 

Understanding Insider Cybersecurity Risks for Businesses

With cybercrime reaching an all-time high in 2023, businesses must enhance their methods for protecting their sensitive information and systems. The consequences of an attack or data breach can be detrimental to your operations, so learning more about the different types of threats can help you mitigate risks in your digital environment before they become major issues. An element of cybersecurity that enterprises often overlook is insider threats. 

What Is an Insider Threat?

An insider threat refers to a cybersecurity risk posed by an individual to whom your business or organization granted authorized access to your private resources, networks or devices. Insiders may include employees, partners, contractors or anyone you trust with knowledge about and credentials for your systems. There are two main types of insider threats — intentional and unintentional. 

Intentional Insider Threats

Intentional threats involve an insider deliberately misusing their access to your organization’s systems. They may be interested in interrupting your operations or stealing information for personal gain. Potential motives behind insider threats include:

• Stealing data or intellectual property to use or sell for profit.
• Sabotaging systems as an act of vengeance or revenge on the company.
• Acting on behalf of a third party to access proprietary or strategic information.
• Compromising information to advance personal beliefs or agendas. 

Unintentional Insider Threats

Unintentional insider threats occur when a well-meaning individual inadvertently compromises access to your business’s systems or network. Through negligence, lack of awareness or errors, that person accidentally created a vulnerability that cybercriminals can capitalize on to harm your operations. 

Common unintentional insider cybersecurity threats include the following:

• Falling for a phishing and social engineering scam
• Utilizing poor password hygiene
• Mishandling credentials or sensitive information
• Clicking malicious links
• Downloading malware on company devices
• Storing private data on unsecured systems
• Using unauthorized software

5 Tips for Mitigating Insider Cybersecurity Threats

According to the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the fundamental framework for mitigating insider threats includes these steps:

• Define
• Detect and identify
• Assess
• Manage

The following are a few helpful tips for combating insider threats with this essential framework in mind:

1. Prioritize Employee Education

An effective way to avoid unintentional insider risks is to provide your personnel with comprehensive training on cybersecurity best practices. When your team is aware of the potential risks, they can make more informed decisions when they believe they’ve witnessed something suspicious. Proper education and training are key to fostering a secure and aware culture at your company. Teach your team what scams and threats may look like and encourage them to report any concerning behavior or activity to management.  

2. Perform Regular Security Assessments

Another beneficial tip for combating insider threats is to perform regular cybersecurity assessments. Cybersecurity experts can evaluate your entire digital environment and look for gaps in your protections that cybercriminals could potentially capitalize on. 

Periodically assessing your processes and online landscape can help you proactively address weaknesses and implement new strategies to minimize vulnerabilities.

3. Implement Strong Access Controls

Your access controls can make or break your organization’s cybersecurity posture. Regularly review and update your access permissions and credentials to ensure that only specified personnel can reach your critical systems. It can be helpful to restrict user privileges to include only the necessary information or resources needed to fulfill their specific responsibilities. 

4. Create an Incident Response Plan

Businesses and organizations can minimize the negative impacts of an insider cybersecurity threat by establishing a comprehensive incident response plan outlining the protocols your team will take if an incident occurs. These plans should include the following:

• Procedures for investigating incidents
• Steps for isolating compromised systems
• Instructions for preserving evidence
• Processes for notifying the appropriate stakeholders after an incident

5. Invest in Data Loss Prevention Solutions

Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions help organizations monitor user activity and detect attempted breaches to better protect your sensitive information. They can reinforce your data policies and minimize the chance of unauthorized access to your systems. You can improve security for your users, customers and proprietary information with the right tools. 

Why Is It Important to Identify Potential Insider Threats?

With a 40% increase in insider risk incidents from 2019 to 2023, businesses and organizations must find effective methods for protecting their sensitive information and systems. Explore the following reasons why identifying potential insider threats is critical for your operations: 

• Protecting sensitive data: The primary reason for closely monitoring your digital environment for potential insider threats to cybersecurity is to safeguard your sensitive data, proprietary secrets and intellectual property. 
• Minimizing damage and impact: The sooner you can identify a threat, the sooner you can implement strategies to combat it. By being proactive, your organization can actively manage threats and reduce the negative impacts they have on your operations. 
• Preserving continuity: Flagging potential risks will help your business combat disruptions caused by a breach. By acting fast, you can maintain business continuity and continue delivering uninterrupted services to your customers or clients. 
• Maintaining trust and reputation: Keeping potential insider threats to a minimum is essential for maintaining a positive reputation with your customers and stakeholders. Timely detection and a prompt response from your business demonstrate your commitment to security. 
• Meeting compliance requirements: Many industries mandate that businesses take proactive measures to secure their digital systems and data to remain compliant. Establishing a plan to mitigate risks is key to fostering the safest and most secure network for your employees, partners, contractors and customers. 
• Enhancing overall security posture: Actively addressing insider threats is an important element of your organization’s overall security framework and posture, making it a pivotal aspect of defending your operations as a whole.

Protect Your Business From Insider Threats With Cybersecurity Solutions From Morefield

At Morefield, we understand how crucial it is to have a comprehensive cybersecurity solution for your business. Our services are here to help your organization secure its digital operations and protect your private data. 

We can help with a variety of cybersecurity-related solutions, including vulnerability assessments, mobile device management and more. Your business can also turn to us for virtual chief information security officer services to gain access to affordable cybersecurity expertise and assistance. 

Are you ready to learn more about protecting your business? Explore the cybersecurity solutions from Morefield and connect with us online to get started today.

Cyber hygiene can be the difference between a detrimental data breach and business as usual for your company. At Morefield, we have decades of experience in the cybersecurity sector, and we understand the changing landscape for businesses like yours. Explore the practices you can follow to secure your operation’s digital environments and protect your private information from cybercriminals. 

Understanding Cyber Hygiene

Cyber hygiene, sometimes called cybersecurity hygiene, refers to the set of principles and protocols an organization or person uses to secure their digital landscape, including:

• Users
• Networks
• Devices
• Data

These practices are often part of a larger ongoing routine dedicated to maintaining a healthy system and keeping private information safe from unauthorized personnel and cyberattacks.

Importance of Cyber Hygiene

With a whopping 83% of organizations enduring more than one data breach in 2022, businesses must take the growing threat of a cyberattack very seriously. Without proper cyber hygiene practices, your operation risks jeopardizing sensitive information about your customers, employees, proprietary solutions, intellectual property and company financials. 

One data breach can be enough to compromise your business’s reputation, disrupt operations and harm your bottom line. 

Goals of Cyber Hygiene Practices

The primary goal of good cyber hygiene is risk management. Taking daily, precautionary measures to keep your business’s sensitive data protected against cybercriminals is essential for combating potential threats, including:

• Malware
• Ransomware
• Viruses
• Identity thieves
• Hackers

In addition to protecting your operations, maintaining proper cyber hygiene is key to staying resilient if an attack occurs.

The Effectiveness of Cyber Hygiene

Improving your business’s security posture with good cyber hygiene practices is incredibly effective for mitigating risks. According to the 2022 Microsoft Defense Report, following basic cyber hygiene practices can prevent 98% of cyberattacks aimed at your business. 

Your business can save significant time, money and energy by having your team stick with cybersecurity protocols. Additional benefits include:

• Securing your sensitive data.
• Keeping computer systems running efficiently.
• Combatting unauthorized access to private systems. 

Key Principles of Cyber Hygiene 

Cyber hygiene consists of many smaller practices intended to maintain healthy data environments that align with a few key principles:

Hardware and Software Maintenance

The hardware and software solutions your business utilizes for its operations are often major targets for cybercriminals. Addressing vulnerabilities in these systems is essential for combating unwanted threats. 

Regularly updating hardware and software can help you keep your systems up to date and equipped to handle newer dangers. Your business needs the latest protections and cybersecurity framework, including firewalls, proxy servers and patches, for the most effective risk mitigation. 

Many cyber hygiene practices revolve around securing your hardware and software as best as possible because your business relies on these systems and their data.

Employee Awareness and Training

Cybersecurity threats continue to grow and wreak havoc on organizations of all sizes. Experts predict the average annual cost of cybercrime will reach $10.5 trillion by 2025, meaning businesses must find ways to improve their cyber hygiene practices. Increasing employee awareness through comprehensive training programs is one effective method for combating cyber dangers and maintaining a secure data environment. 

Your team should understand how to identify, address and mitigate common threats. Remind them of the importance of keeping their login credentials private and inform them of the serious risks of a data breach. Help them see their essential role in maintaining cyber hygiene across your entire business.

Risk Management in Cybersecurity

The final principle of cyber hygiene is effective and comprehensive risk management solutions. The best way to secure your company’s digital network is to continuously look for new weaknesses that could make it easier for a cybercriminal to access your private data. Regular risk assessments will help you find vulnerabilities on your attack surface, allowing you to patch holes before a hacker can capitalize on them. 

Implementing Cyber Hygiene Best Practices

Explore the following best practices to boost your business’s cyber hygiene:

• Employee awareness and participation: Every team member should know how to identify common threats, like phishing emails or social engineering attacks. Consider implementing new training programs to refresh their understanding of cybersecurity best practices and new dangers to be aware of. 
• Access management: Your business should encourage every employee to use strong, unique passwords and multifactor authentication when logging into your systems. Update access controls and remove outdated credentials from your systems promptly. 
• Regular software updates and patching: Keep your operating systems and applications up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity technologies. Patch vulnerabilities as soon as possible to protect your digital landscape. 
• Firewall and network security: Always utilize firewalls to actively monitor your network traffic and block unauthorized access to your critical systems. Also, employ and maintain antivirus and anti-malware solutions to protect your digital framework against malware threats.
• Secure data backup: Back up your business’s important data regularly on- and off-site to ensure you have access to it in case a cyberattack leads to data corruption or loss. 
• Vendor and third-party risk management: Remember to assess the cybersecurity posture of any vendors or third parties prior to integrating them with your existing systems. 

Working with a cybersecurity professional can help make your business’s cyber hygiene management processes simple. 

Incorporating Cyber Hygiene in IT Strategy

Every business can benefit from prioritizing cyber hygiene in its overarching information technology (IT) strategy. The following are basic steps for maintaining a secure business environment:

1. Conduct risk assessments: Begin by assessing your IT framework to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats. Your business should do this regularly to manage all major risks.
2. Create a cybersecurity policy: Establish the goals and objectives of your cybersecurity practices. Outline the responsibilities of your team members and the procedures they should follow. 
3. Roll out employee training programs: Ensure your workers are up to date on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices so they can make informed decisions throughout their workday. Your team should be familiar with all access controls and system update requirements. 
4. Utilize advanced threat detection systems: Implementing intrusion detection is key to stopping a hacker in their tracks and minimizing the threat. Your business can benefit from setting up these systems for ongoing cybersecurity monitoring. 
5. Determine a data backup and disaster recovery plan: Have your team back up important data regularly to decrease the chances of data loss. Also, establish and test your process for recovering data after a system failure or breach. 
6. Continuously update and improve: Your business can elevate and improve cyber hygiene by constantly refining your cybersecurity practices and IT strategy. 

Protect Your Business With Cybersecurity Solutions From Morefield

If your business needs comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, turn to the wide range of services from Morefield. With more than 75 years of industry experience, we understand the crucial measures necessary for protecting sensitive data across your digital landscape.

Our extensive cybersecurity solutions are scalable and will help protect the digital processes that are essential to your business’s success. We will guide you through cyber hygiene best practices to ensure your operations are secure.

Are you ready to get started? Contact Morefield to learn more about our IT, cloud and cybersecurity solutions today. 

Morefield Announced as ConnectWise WISE Award winner for Cybersecurity Partner of the Year

ConnectWise Announces WISE Awards Winners at IT Nation Connect 2023 in Orlando

Winning Partners Were Celebrated for Using a Foundation of ConnectWise Products, Services, and Community to Achieve Success

ORLANDO, Fla. (November 9, 2023) – ConnectWise, the world’s leading software company dedicated to the success of IT solution providers (TSPs), today announced the winners of its second annual WISE Awards at IT Nation Connect in Orlando, Florida. ..

Read full press release here – https://www.connectwise.com/company/press/releases/connectwise-announces-wise-awards-winners-at-it-nation-connect-2023-in-orlando

Experts predict the cyber threat landscape in 2024 will change even more dramatically in response to evolving technological innovations than in previous years. This post explores some of the most prominent cybersecurity predictions for 2024 and the steps organizations can take to protect their assets against them.

1. Shifting Cybercrime Tactics

Innovation is often a double-edged sword. As technological developments ramp up each year, cybercriminals will rapidly change their tactics to exploit new vulnerabilities before developers can release the appropriate patches. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword in the cybersecurity landscape, and it will only become more prevalent in 2024. Because machine learning (ML) allows AI programs to adapt automatically based on previous inputs, hackers can use ML and AI to create attack vectors that are more difficult to eliminate using existing methods.

Hackers can also use generative AI and ML to produce and proofread malicious code rapidly, allowing them to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks at higher volumes than ever before.

Phishing and Social Engineering

With the rise of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, social engineering attacks such as phishing are becoming even more pernicious threats. Thanks to natural language processing (NLP), which enables an AI to understand and properly respond to human language, an LLM can produce incredibly convincing phishing emails free of typical giveaways like typos and awkward phrasing. 

Zero-Click Malware

Malware attacks are usually part of a larger phishing scam, where the hacker tricks employees at your organization into clicking on a malicious link that automatically downloads a virus onto their computer.

Zero-click malware is a new type of attack that eliminates the need for user interaction. It can infiltrate your system through various attack vectors — including vulnerabilities in legitimate applications — and execute its code in the background. Users don’t know the computer or network has been compromised until it’s too late.

2. Rise in Ransomware Threats

In 2024, ransomware will likely remain one of the top cybersecurity threats in business across all industries. Ransomware is a specific type of malware that automatically encrypts your files or software systems until you pay a ransom to the attackers. In previous years, losing access to local storage would incapacitate an organization, resulting in thousands or even millions of dollars lost and debilitating reputational damage.

Notably, ransomware tactics have changed in recent years as companies have begun investing in robust backup- and disaster-recovery-as-a-service solutions (BaaS and DRaaS, respectively). Companies can now afford not to pay the ransom because they can get their data back from their existing backups. 

In response, hackers are finding new ways to pressure their victims into paying. Double extortion — also known as extortionware — is a ransomware variant that threatens to release the hostage information to the public if the victim does not meet the attacker’s demands. It’s significantly more effective than traditional ransomware, and businesses must learn new ways to respond.

Preparing for a ransomware attack is a matter of “when,” not “if.” Organizations need to remain agile to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

3. Exploitation of New Technologies

Organizations are sure to see the impact of new technologies on cybersecurity within the next year as cybercriminals find ways to turn new advancements into devastating attack vectors. Some examples include: 

• 5G: 5G networks can handle billions of connected devices at even faster speeds than 4G connections. However, this growth gives hackers more opportunities to exploit supply chain vulnerabilities.
• Internet of Things (IoT): Although IoT infrastructure unlocks exciting opportunities for data collection, the rapidly growing network of internet-connected devices greatly expands an organization’s attack surface.
• Quantum computing: While still in its infancy, quantum computing can handle tasks that are too complex for most traditional computers — such as breaking into encrypted files. Quantum-resistant encryption algorithms will become critical for protecting against such attacks.

4. Regulatory Compliance and Legal Considerations

As new threats emerge, we’ll see substantial updates to cybersecurity regulations beginning in 2024. Specific compliance requirements will vary by jurisdiction and industry. For example, healthcare organizations will likely see updates to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and financial institutions may see new additions to PCI DSS.

Regardless, such standards will become significantly more complex. Cybersecurity professionals and IT departments must keep up with these evolving regulations to remain compliant. For many sectors, this process may require developing new strategies for effective data management.

How Businesses Can Stay Secure

Cybercrime is always changing, which is why a proactive stance toward cybersecurity is key. Organizations of all sizes and industries must stay updated with the ever-changing threat landscape to protect themselves against new and evolving threats.

Organizations should be aware of these cybersecurity concepts:

• Security by design: A system that is secure by design prioritizes cybersecurity on the same level as other critical features, significantly reducing the number of potential exploits before making it publicly available.
• Zero-trust architecture: Zero-trust systems grant access based on individual roles and identities rather than a user’s belonging to the organization, significantly reducing the risk of internal threats.
• Automated technologies: Automated threat detection and response technologies can save your organization valuable time in identifying and eliminating threats from your system.
• AI and ML: An AI and ML-enhanced system can learn from the new threats it encounters and automatically adjust its responses in real time, letting your organization quickly adapt to changes within the cybersecurity landscape.
• Cross-industry collaboration: Sharing cybersecurity information across sectors is essential for developing the most accurate understanding of new threats and their methods of operation — which will become vital for protecting national security over the coming years.

Protect Your Organization in 2024 and Beyond With Morefield

With such dramatic changes coming down the pipeline, it’s clear organizations will need to invest more in cybersecurity initiatives. A holistic, proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential for the most effective protection — but for companies without sufficient staff or IT resources, building this kind of strategy is difficult at best.

Working with a managed service provider (MSP) like Morefield provides the resources your company needs for a robust cybersecurity framework. We offer a wide range of cybersecurity solutions, including system assessments, vCISO services and cyber awareness training so you can strengthen your cybersecurity posture without making significant investments in labor or technology yourself.

Contact us today for more information on our managed cybersecurity services for companies in Central Pennsylvania.

Event Description

Allan Jacks and Mark LeFever will give an in-depth presentation on the latest developments in cybersecurity, compliance best practices, and strategies to safeguard against cyber-attacks targeting small to midsize law firms. Attendees will gain valuable insights into real-life examples of cyber scams and potential consequences for breached firms while learning how to mitigate risks and stay prepared for future threats. Lunch 11:30-12:00, Presentation 12:00-1:00 pm. 1.0 Substantive Credit.

Location:

Lancaster Bar Association
28 East Orange Street
Lancaster PA 17602

Phone: 717-393-0737

Attendees can register for the event via the Lancaster Bar Association’s website and have the option of paying online via their Formsite portal or can download their form and send it via mail. Attendees can use this link: https://quickclick.com/r/8isnt and submit payment through their secure portal.