Insider Threats: Why Who You Hire Matters for Cybersecurit

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In 2024, something surprising happened at a cybersecurity company called KnowBe4. They almost hired a person who turned out to be a hacker from North Korea. Luckily, they found out before the person started working there.

This shows us an important lesson: not all hackers attack from outside a company. Sometimes, the threat comes from people inside the company. These can be workers who want to cause harm, or even people hired by other countries trying to steal secrets or cause problems.

Why Is This a Big Deal?

Some countries try to sneak their hackers into important companies by hiring them as employees. These “insider threats” are very dangerous because once inside, they have more access to sensitive information and systems.

Experts say companies must be very careful during hiring and must keep watching their workers to catch any suspicious actions.

What Can Companies Do to Stay Safe?

  • Check carefully before hiring anyone, especially for important jobs like IT or security

  • Watch for unusual behavior on company computers

  • Teach employees how to protect company information

  • Give employees only the access they need to do their jobs

  • Make it easy for workers to report suspicious activities


What I Learned — Tools and Strategies to Protect Against Insider Threats

As a cybersecurity student, I know that protecting against insider threats means more than just trusting employees. Companies use special tools and strategies to watch for unusual activity and keep their data safe. Here are some common ones:

  1. User Behavior Analytics (UBA):
    This tool looks at how employees use computers and systems every day. If someone suddenly starts doing things that are unusual — like accessing files they don’t normally use or logging in at odd times — UBA can alert security teams to investigate.

  2. Data Loss Prevention (DLP):
    DLP tools stop sensitive information from leaving the company by accident or on purpose. For example, if someone tries to email or copy confidential data outside the company, DLP can block it or warn the security team.

  3. Identity and Access Management (IAM):
    This system makes sure employees only have access to the information and systems they need for their job — no more, no less. This limits the damage if someone tries to misuse their access.

  4. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM):
    SIEM tools collect and analyze security data from across the company’s network. They help spot patterns of suspicious behavior that might mean an insider threat.

  5. Employee Training and Awareness:
    Tools alone aren’t enough. Companies also teach employees about security risks and encourage them to report anything unusual, helping create a safer workplace.

Using these tools and strategies together helps companies find insider threats early and stop them before they cause harm.


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