Giacomo Lanzi
Insider threat: identifying and fighting them
Insider threats are difficult to spot because they come from within your organization. Employees, contractors and partners require different levels of login credentials in order to perform their work. Attackers can trick these insiders into accessing them or offering them money to knowingly steal valuable information from the company.
Traditional security solutions focus on protecting the organization from external attackers. This strategy overlooks the damage that an internal resource could do to the organization, whether aware or not. With a Nextgen SIEM solution you have the ability to detect and respond to both external and internal threats, with the help of the UEBA in identifying suspicious behavior.
Insider threat, the reasons
Employees or contractors identified as at risk are linked to 60% of cases of insider threats, increasing the likelihood that such incidents result in the theft of sensitive company data. Insider threats can be divided into two groups: the distracted and the hostile.
The mechanics of an attack change significantly based on the motivations behind it. It is therefore better to fully understand which characteristics are typical of the motivations behind attacks, in order to be able to stop potential threats before they become violations.
Economic gain
It is clear to each employee how much the data that the company holds can be worth. Here, in the event of a crisis, allowing data to be leaked in exchange for money may seem like a reduced risk. This type of motive must be considered above all when, in times like the present one, an external event (the COVID-19 pandemic) still puts the workplace at risk. With the risk of an imminent layoff, the sale of data that you have access to as an employee is a more than attractive escape route.
Carelessness
Non-compliance with security rules is a very real risk and the most common cause of internal threats. Indolence in compliance with the rules costs organizations an average of $ 4.58mln per year. Threats come, specifically, from some security practices that are not respected, such as failure to log out from the system, writing one’s passwords on paper or reusing them. In this category there are also violations in the use of unauthorized software or a failure to protect company data.
The reasons behind these harmful behaviors are often, unfortunately, particularly simple: security is bypassed by an allegedly greater speed, productivity or, worse, laziness.
Distraction
One type of negligent employee is the distracted one, which is worth treating in isolation because it is more complicated to identify. While the serial behavior of violating the rules is easily identifiable, the distracted, who normally diligently complies with the regulations, is not identified before the only, unfortunate, time when his carelessness does not cost the company an attack that went to successful.
Damage to the company
Among the most subtle insider threats are those of those who have the sole purpose of damaging the company. The motive, in these cases, is usually of a personal nature: an employee who is refused a raise, a disagreement with a superior, etc. The insider then moves to discredit his company, causing damage to its image that results in frightened investors who withdraw their capital or lose customers.
Sabotage and sale of information to third parties
For companies that handle sensitive data, this type of threat is a real risk. Whether the company deals with valuable intellectual property or sensitive data of its customers, there is a high probability that there are those who are interested in having access to that data to use it to their advantage. In this scenario, the actor who wants to get hold of the data recruits an insider to steal it.
Cases that fall under the definition of espionage or media sabotage have been on the rise in recent years. Attacks start from nations such as Russia or North Korea, often involved in this type of trafficking in order to gain political advantages against Western states and organizations.
Defense against insider threats
The defense against attacks that originate from the inside is based on the analysis of the suspicious behavior of those who have access to the systems. The difficulty is found in the non-violent nature of the attacks. It is easy for insiders to not need to breach any security checks, having access from the start.
So how can we immediately catch the threats?
Monitor user access
Insiders with legitimate access choose to abuse their access privileges. Excessive access rights are often granted to reduce the effort that privilege management requires. Avoiding this type of behavior is already a first step in a proactive direction of defense.
Furthermore, with a Nextgen SIEM system it is possible to monitor users with high privilege access to databases, servers and critical applications. At that point it is easier to identify those who abuse their access.
Detect suspicious user behavior
The most sophisticated attacks are based on stealth. To this end, attackers increasingly rely on the compromise of existing internal resources. Once inside the network, they perform lateral movement and steal data under the guise of an internal user.
A system such as that offered by SOD’s SOCaaS allows, among other things, to quickly identify suspicious accounts by detecting abnormal user behavior compared to normal base patterns and the activity of colleagues.
The advantages of a modern system
Shorter response time
Using behavioral analysis it is possible to identify abnormal actions so that we can investigate very quickly.
Advanced behavioral analysis: with the UEBA system (included in SOCaaS), security analysts are able to monitor access and activity of users to the most important resources of the company, allowing to find internal threats with the minimal noise for fast detection and response.
Rapid recognition of users at risk
To enable rapid detection of insider threats, security teams need the ability to link a user’s accounts together to create a universal user profile. This is possible with a Nextgen SIEM system. The analysis of user behavior is also compared to that of a group of peers, to identify anomalous behaviors with greater precision, understanding how a user’s activity is different from that of his colleagues.
The threats that start from within the company perimeter are perhaps the most risky due to their low noise nature. Fortunately, with systems increasingly capable of detecting suspicious behavior and aggregating large amounts of employee data, it is possible to take effective countermeasures to combat this type of attack.
Useful links:
Share
RSS
More Articles…
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- “Left of boom” and “right of boom”: having a winning strategy
- Smishing: a fraud similar to phishing
- Network Traffic Analyzer: an extra gear for the Next Gen SIEM
- The importance of Cyber Threat Intelligence
- Red Team, Blue Team and Purple Team: what are the differences?
- Magecart attack: what it is and how to protect yourself
- 9 reasons why you should consider using a VPN
Categories …
- Backup as a Service (2)
- Acronis Cloud Backup (11)
- Veeam Cloud Connect (4)
- Cloud Conference (3)
- Cloud CRM (1)
- Cloud Server/VPS (20)
- Conferenza Cloud (4)
- ICT Monitoring (4)
- Log Management (2)
- News (18)
- ownCloud (4)
- Privacy (7)
- Secure Online Desktop (14)
- Security (14)
- Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) (3)
- Ethical Phishing (8)
- SOCaaS (21)
- Vulnerabilities (84)
- Web Hosting (15)
Tags
Dark Reading:
- New Normal Demands New Security Leadership Structure August 2, 2021At the inaugural Omdia Analyst Summit, experts discuss where the past year has created gaps in traditional security strategy and how organizations can fill them.
- Multiple Zero-Day Flaws Discovered in Popular Hospital Pneumatic Tube System August 2, 2021"PwnedPiper" flaws could allow attackers to disrupt delivery of lab samples or steal hospital employee credentials, new research shows.
- 8 Security Tools to be Unveiled at Black Hat USA July 28, 2021Security researchers and practitioners share a host of new cyber tools for penetration testing, reverse engineering, malware defense, and more.
- Biden Administration Responds to Geopolitical Cyber Threats July 23, 2021In response to growing concerns regarding the recent uptick in large-scale, nation-state-backed ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, the Biden administration is taking new action to tackle the evolving challenges posed by ransomware attacks.
- 7 Hot Cyber Threat Trends to Expect at Black Hat July 22, 2021A sneak peek of some of the main themes at Black Hat USA next month.
- Law Firm for Ford, Pfizer, Exxon Discloses Ransomware Attack July 19, 2021Campbell Conroy & O'Neil reports the attack affected personal data including Social Security numbers, passport numbers, and payment card data for some individuals.
- US Accuses China of Using Criminal Hackers in Cyber Espionage Operations July 19, 2021DOJ indicts four Chinese individuals for alleged role in attacks targeting intellectual property, trade secrets belonging to defense contractors, maritime companies, aircraft service firms, and others.
- How Gaming Attack Data Aids Defenders Across Industries July 19, 2021Web application attacks against the video game industry quadrupled in 2020 compared to the previous year, but companies outside entertainment can learn from the data.
- NSO Group Spyware Used On Journalists & Activists Worldwide July 19, 2021An investigation finds Pegasus spyware, intended for use on criminals and terrorists, has been used in targeted campaigns against others around the world.
- When Ransomware Comes to (Your) Town July 19, 2021While steps for defending against a ransomware attack vary based on the size of the government entity and the resources available to each one, rooting out ransomware ultimately will come down to two things: system architecture and partnerships.
Full Disclosure
- Backdoor.Win32.Nbdd.bgz / Remote Stack Buffer Overflow July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/6fab73bf104c6a9211b94f9559faa134.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Nbdd.bgz Vulnerability: Remote Stack Buffer Overflow Description: NetBot_Attacker VIP 5.9 on initial startup listens on port 8080 and on subsequent restarts port 80. Third-party attackers who can reach an infected system […]
- Backdoor.Win32.Bifrose.acci / Local Stack Buffer Overflow July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/611dbff0d68df777c6d6881e00440143.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Bifrose.acci Vulnerability: Local Stack Buffer Overflow Description: Bifrost doesn't properly validate the IP address when importing Bifrost settings (.set) files. The IP address offset is located after a NULL byte which […]
- Backdoor.Win32.PsyRat.b / Remote Denial of Service July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/5817183894cb513239f6aef28895130c_B.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.PsyRat.b Vulnerability: Remote Denial of Service Description: The PsyRAT 1.02 malware listens by default on TCP port 9863. Third-party attackers who can reach infected systems can send a specially crafted command […]
- Backdoor.Win32.PsyRat.b / Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/5817183894cb513239f6aef28895130c.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.PsyRat.b Vulnerability: Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution Description: The PsyRAT 1.02 malware listens by default on TCP port 9863, but can be changed when building backdoor servers. Third-party attackers who can reach...
- Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu / Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/ce1963d3fd6a8e1383aac40a1f1c4107_C.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu Vulnerability: Unauthenticated Remote Command Execution Description: The malware listens on TCP ports 10426, 56185. Third-party attackers who can reach infected systems can execute commands made available by the backdoor....
- Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu / Port Bounce Scan (MITM) July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/ce1963d3fd6a8e1383aac40a1f1c4107_B.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu Vulnerability: Port Bounce Scan (MITM) Description: The malware listens on TCP ports 10426, 56185, its FTP component accepts any username/password credentials. Third-party attackers who successfully logon can abuse the...
- Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu / Authentication Bypass RCE July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/ce1963d3fd6a8e1383aac40a1f1c4107.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Agent.cu Vulnerability: Authentication Bypass RCE Description: The malware listens on TCP ports 10426, 56185. Third-party attackers who can reach infected systems can logon using any username/password combination. Intruders may then...
- Backdoor.Win32.Mazben.me / Unauthenticated Open Proxy July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/6681d5e4b68abd21a14c704edf9e2ff5.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Mazben.me Vulnerability: Unauthenticated Open Proxy Description: The malware listens on random TCP ports like 3515, 7936, 3972. Third-party attackers who can connect to the infected system can relay requests from the […]
- Backdoor.Win32.Hupigon.aaur / Unauthenticated Open Proxy July 27, 2021Posted by malvuln on Jul 26Discovery / credits: Malvuln - malvuln.com (c) 2021 Original source: https://malvuln.com/advisory/16d598c01f7b391986c8c19eded005b1.txt Contact: malvuln13 () gmail com Media: twitter.com/malvuln Threat: Backdoor.Win32.Hupigon.aaur Vulnerability: Unauthenticated Open Proxy Description: The malware listens on TCP port 8080. Third-party attackers who can connect to the infected system can relay requests from the original connection to the...
- ATLASSIAN - CVE-2020-36239 - Jira Data Center and Jira Service Management Data Center July 27, 2021Posted by Atlassian on Jul 26This email refers to the advisory found at https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/jira-data-center-and-jira-service-management-data-center-security-advisory-2021-07-21-1063571388.html CVE ID: * CVE-2020-36239 Products: Jira Data Center, Jira Core Data Center, Jira Software Data Center, and Jira Service Management Data Center. Affected Versions - Jira Data Center, Jira Core Data Center, and Jira Software Data Center: 6.3.0
Customers
Twitter FEED
Recent activity
-
SecureOnlineDesktop
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Quando si parla di sicurezza informatica e ci si trova dalla parte degli attacc… https://t.co/lYBxdVIxTi
-
SecureOnlineDesktop
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes When it comes to cyber security and is on the side of the attackers, we often… https://t.co/8o43bo6riu
-
SecureOnlineDesktop
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Every day we hear about some new technology threats or vulnerabilities. Latel… https://t.co/YyZZPgyV6h
-
SecureOnlineDesktop
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Every day we hear about some new technology threats or vulnerabilities. Latel… https://t.co/uV5QZuvPVS
-
SecureOnlineDesktop
Tempo di lettura stimato: 6 minuti Ogni giorno sentiamo parlare di qualche nuova minaccia o vulnerabilità in ambi… https://t.co/nlHWBfE6QU
Newsletter
Products and Solutions
Partners
Cloud Models
News
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework August 2, 2021
- “Left of boom” and “right of boom”: having a winning strategy July 28, 2021
- Smishing: a fraud similar to phishing July 26, 2021
- Network Traffic Analyzer: an extra gear for the Next Gen SIEM July 21, 2021
- The importance of Cyber Threat Intelligence July 14, 2021
Google Reviews
About
Copyright © 2011 Secure Online Desktop s.r.l. All Rights Reserved.
VAT: 07485920966 “Cloud Computing services - Software cloud - Cloud server - VPS” Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy
ISO Certifications