How to Counter Insider Threats in the Software Supply Chain
The risks associated with insider threats grow as the software supply chain extends to partners, third-party contractors and freelancers. Once data and users move past an organization’s development and support teams, they become harder to control. Vetting third parties’ security measures is therefore critical, though not always easy.
Many large outsourcing firms have insider threat programs because they work at a scale where such countermeasures are a cost of doing business. Details about the firm’s insider threat program and other internal security measures must be part of the client’s due diligence and contractual negotiations. Yet even with contractual stipulations in place, it is difficult for clients to verify a vendor’s security practices in action.
Insider Threat Awareness: Avoiding Internal Security Breaches
“Insider Threat,” a potential cybersecurity breach from within your organization, has been a topic of intrigue for cybersecurity professionals for many years and continues to be a significant concern today. Not only do we find ourselves having to defend against internet-borne attacks from cybercriminals, hackers, and many other threat actors. We must keep a watchful eye within our office locations, control rooms, datacenters, and many other areas under our protection – on the lookout for the Insider Threat.
Zero-Trust Architecture May Hold the Answer to Cybersecurity Insider Threats
For years, organizations have taken a defensive “castle-and-moat” approach to cybersecurity, seeking to secure the perimeters of their networks to block out any malicious actors. Individuals with the right credentials were assumed to be trustworthy and allowed access to a network’s systems and data without having to reauthorize themselves at each access attempt. However, organizations today increasingly store data in the cloud and allow employees to connect to the network remotely, both of which create vulnerabilities to this traditional approach. A more secure future may require a “zero-trust architecture,” in which users must prove their authenticity each time they access a network application or data.
New Report Finds Nearly Two-Thirds of UK CISOs Feel Unprepared to Cope with a Cyber Attack
While the world’s CISOs spent 2021 coming to terms with new ways of working, many now feel much more in control of their environment: globally, 48% feel that their organization is at risk of suffering a material cyber attack in the next 12 months, down from 64% last year. In the UK, this rises to 60%, compared with 81% last year.
But feeling prepared for a cyber attack is vastly different than being prepared. This growing confidence of CISOs is likely a result of successfully overcoming a seismic event (the pandemic) rather than any tangible change in risk levels of preparedness. Proofpoint’s report reveals that 50% of global CISOs still feel their organisation is unprepared to handle a cyber attack and 56% consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability, with established work-from-anywhere setups and The Great Resignation presenting new challenges around information protection.
The New Era of Cyber-Attacks – Who is Most at Risk This Year?
Cybercrime is on the rise, and the nature and complexity of attacks are constantly evolving, with criminals relying upon newly sophisticated means of attack to go under the radar and compromise the networks of unsuspecting users. However, another shifting element of cyber-attacks is the actual victims under threat, whether political institutions, major companies or a certain demographic of individuals.
While it’s sensible that all enterprises and users remain on the cyber offensive and continually adopt a ‘no trust’ approach, particular groups and industries face a heightened risk of being targeted this year. In these targeted attacks, victims may be chosen because of their especially vulnerable and easily penetrable situation, the shifting objectives of cyber-criminals or the increasing value of a victim’s information.
How to Protect Your Business When Employees Get Poached
When employees leave for positions elsewhere, valuable trade secrets can go out the door with them. Employers can protect their customer lists, marketing plans, and pricing data from ending up in the hands of competitors by having key employees sign restrictive covenants that prevent them from sharing sensitive or proprietary information. By the same token, those poaching top performers from your competitors need to avoid lawsuits for violating restrictive covenants.