Online security breaches are major a concern for businesses of all kinds, especially when they come from the inside. If your business suspects an insider threat, there are a number of steps you can take to remedy the issue.
With secure business practices in mind, here are a few pointers to follow in order to thwart an insider threat:
Delineate Online Responsibilities
Online responsibilities should be delineated to employees with different levels of access. However, many businesses give their entire staffs the same level of access, even when they don’t share the same responsibilities. This can spell disaster when an inside threat does arise.
If your business wants to quickly pinpoint an inside attack, then it’s important to separate online responsibilities.
When each employee has his or her own level of access, it not only helps your business track daily responsibilities, but malicious activities as well.
Implement a Password Policy
Whether your employees have the same access to your network or not; it is wise to implement a strict password policy. Password sharing can increase the odds of outside security breaches as well as insider attacks.
As the following article looks at, system access is just 1 of the 5 techniques for identifying and stopping insider threats, which is why a password policy is so important.
When each employee has his or her own password, it makes it easier to track password usage in the event of an insider attack.
Don’t Leave Idle Accounts Active
An idle online account is a hotbed for malicious activities. When employees leave their position, make sure you deactivate all of their access privileges to your network. This is especially the case if the employee left your business on bad terms.
Most business networks only allow full access from the inside, but with the popularity of the cloud and telecommuting, more and more businesses are allowing outside access to their systems.
If your business allows this, take the necessary to fully deactivate employee access from both inside and out.
Monitor Online Activities
Much like a risk assessment, periodic monitoring of your employees activities will help you thwart insider attacks before they do significant damage.
Monitoring online activity should be a random process, but your employees should also be fully aware you’re doing so.
When employees know your business does periodic monitoring, it decreases both malicious and non-malicious activities, such as social media surfing during work hours.
If suspicious activity does present itself during monitoring, an audit may be necessary to further the investigation.
Educate Employees
Protecting your business is only part of the online security equation. In order to get your entire staff onboard, you need to educate your employees on the insider threat detection process.
By sharing information on password policies and threat detection, all of your employees can help deter attacks. You should post security policies in common areas as well as send security updates to all employees via email.
When it comes to the safety of your business, keep in mind the insider threat pointers above and quickly thwart any attacks that might occur.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including online security and small business.
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