Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecurityManagementSecurity NewswireSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementLogical SecuritySecurity & Business ResilienceCybersecurity News

Insider threat peaks to highest level in Q3 2022

By Maria Henriquez
insider-threats-fp1170x658v357.jpg
November 10, 2022

Q3 2022 saw insider threat peak to its highest level yet, accounting for nearly 35% of all unauthorized access threat incidents, according to “Q3 Threat Landscape: Insider Threat the Trojan Horse of 2022,” a report by Kroll. In Q1, 31% of all unauthorized access cases were related to insider threats; in Q2, 24% of cases were related to insider threats.


Kroll also observed several malware infections via USB this quarter, potentially pointing to broader external factors that may encourage insider threat, such as an increasingly fluid labor market and economic turbulence.


The “great resignation” — the rise of employees seeking new opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work — has also coincided with a higher risk of insider threats, which is already exceptionally high during the employee termination process. According to Kroll, disgruntled employees may seek to steal data or company secrets to publicly undermine an organization. Others may seek to move over data that they can leverage at their new organizations, including contact lists and other proprietary documents. 


In one case observed in Q3 by Kroll, an employee attempted to steal gigabytes worth of data by copying it over to cloud storage networks. In this instance, the company followed a standard protocol that included disabling the users’ accounts and deleting data from cloud storage accounts accessible to them. Months after the employee left for a competitor, the organization began to suspect that the individual was using company data at their new position to enhance sales efforts. 


Kroll notes that a review of the individual’s personal laptop identified that they had created copies of company data on multiple cloud storage accounts and personal data devices when they had access to corporate networks. An additional review of the individual’s web browser identified multiple searches related to personal cloud storage and deleting files, which indicated the individual knew the activity was wrong and deliberately made an effort to cover their tracks.


Some of the notable findings of the report include, but are not limited to:

  • An increase in phishing, particularly via valid accounts, which could be tied to malware trends, such as a growth in the use of credential stealer, URSA
  • A decrease in overall ransomware attacks but interesting activity among specific groups such as LockBit 
  • Increase in malware, fueled by the proliferation of credential-stealing malware such as Ursa, Vidar and Raccoon, among others 
  • Increase in attacks against professional services and manufacturing firms


Defending against insider threats 

Laurie Iacono, associate managing director in Kroll’s Cyber Risk practice, says, “The steady growth of insider threat is a worrying trend for businesses. Whether it be insiders that are malicious by intent, simply careless or compromised by cybercriminals, the potential damage — particularly with regards to intellectual property (IP) theft — can be significant. Rising inflation and the number of jobs available post-pandemic have become a reason for many to move jobs. This becomes a ripe ground for possible insider threat, as employees try to retain information on the projects they’ve worked on outside of corporate devices or, in other cases, they retain access rights and permissions for tools and applications they previously used as HR and IT teams struggle to keep up with the amount of staff turnover.”


To counter insider threats, Iacono recommends “organizations pay close attention to the access rights they give to staff and always try to maintain a ‘least-privilege’ environment. Monitoring for suspicious activity — such as a particularly large data download or unknown USB device — is another way to spot potential compromises of security. Above all, clear instructions to employees on what is and isn’t allowed, combined with fast and efficient IT and HR processes that work together in harmony, will prove the best defense against insider threat becoming a trojan horse.”


Other best practices include:

  1. Deploy, manage and monitor endpoint detection & response (EDR) sensors to all endpoints within the network
  2. Use canary or honey tokens throughout the corporate infrastructure
  3. Require employees to use only company-approved devices and systems
  4. Maintain restrictions for using social networking sites and non-corporate email on company devices
  5. Employ digital risk protection solutions that monitor at-risk data
  6. Communicate with security operations centers (SOCs) and/or investigation teams to collaborate and share data
  7. Conduct robust logging and random auditing of active directory or other privileged access credentials 
  8. Integrate checks of cybersecurity program elements into internal audit and compliance programs
  9. Restrict physical and electronic access for any departing employees
  10. Watch for early warning indicators that include remote access during off-hours
KEYWORDS: cyber security data protection insider threats risk management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Maria Henriquez is a former Associate Editor of Security. She covered topics including cybersecurity and physical security, risk management and more.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Security Leadership and Management
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Pills spilled

More than 20,000 sensitive medical records exposed

Laptop in darkness

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows rise in cyberattacks

Coding on screen

Research reveals mass scanning and exploitation campaigns

White post office truck

Department of Labor Sues USPS Over Texas Whistleblower Termination

Computer with binary code hovering nearby

Cyberattacks Targeting US Increased by 136%

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

September 29, 2025

Global Security Exchange (GSX)

 

November 17, 2025

SECURITY 500 Conference

This event is designed to provide security executives, government officials and leaders of industry with vital information on how to elevate their programs while allowing attendees to share their strategies and solutions with other security industry executives.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • data on computer

    Over half of organizations experienced an insider threat in 2022

    See More
  • insider-threats-freepik1170x658v.jpg

    National Insider Threat Awareness Month 2022

    See More
  • 5 mins with

    5 minutes with Carolyn Crandall – Detecting and preventing insider threat attacks

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • physical security.webp

    Physical Security Assessment Handbook An Insider’s Guide to Securing a Business

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing