You're facing an insider threat incident. How can you safeguard sensitive information effectively?

To safeguard sensitive information during an insider threat incident, start by implementing strong access controls and multi-factor authentication to limit data access. Conduct regular security awareness training to educate employees about insider threats and best practices. Use data encryption to protect sensitive information, even if accessed. Monitor user behavior for unusual activities and employ data loss prevention (DLP) systems. Establish a zero-trust policy to verify all access requests. Regularly review and update security policies to adapt to evolving threats.

Quickly identify and isolate the threat by restricting access to sensitive systems and data for the suspected individual. This may involve disabling accounts, revoking credentials, or limiting network access. Increase monitoring and auditing of all user activity, focusing on abnormal behavior or unauthorized access attempts. Require MFA for accessing sensitive systems and data. This adds an extra layer of security, making it more difficult for the insider to misuse access credentials. Ensure that all sensitive information is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Review and tighten access controls. Implement the principle of least privilege to minimize the risk of insider threats.

Implement a UEBA system that continuously monitors and analyses user behaviour and detecting anomalies such as unusual access times, unexpected data transfers, or atypical file access patterns. Regularly review and limit access rights to sensitive information. Set up real-time alerts for suspicious activities, such as unauthorized data transfers or access attempts, enabling immediate investigation and response.

Identificar e responder rapidamente a ameaças internas é essencial em qualquer organização. Já vivenciei situações em que a análise de comportamento do usuário foi fundamental para evitar vazamentos de informações sensíveis. A chave é não só confiar na tecnologia, mas também ter uma equipe preparada para interpretar os dados e agir com agilidade.

Start by immediately identifying and containing the threat. Limit access to critical systems and data, ensuring only authorized personnel have entry. Implement robust monitoring and logging to track suspicious activities in real-time. Conduct a thorough investigation to understand the scope of the breach and the insider's methods. Strengthen your defenses by enforcing strict access controls, using multi-factor authentication, and regularly auditing permissions. Educate employees on security best practices and the consequences of data mishandling. Finally, ensure that your incident response plan is well-defined, regularly updated, and includes clear steps for recovery and communication.

Grant employees to access only to the specific information, systems and resources required to perform their job functions. Conduct some periodic reviews of user access rights to ensure that they align with the employee's current role and responsibilities.

Implementar o princípio do menor privilégio (PoLP) é uma prática essencial para reduzir riscos associados a ameaças internas. Em diversas situações a limitação de acesso evita que um incidente potencial se tornasse um problema maior. Manter as permissões de acesso alinhadas com as funções atuais dos funcionários não só protege a organização, mas também minimiza o impacto em caso de um incidente. A revisão regular dessas permissões é fundamental para garantir que ninguém tenha mais acesso do que realmente precisa.

There are several techniques at several levels for encryption like at the local file encryption technique through file vault [in Macs] or Disk encryption like bit lockers [ in windows], encryption at network data with VPN, backups as well. It needs keys that are known to the management who can verify and authenticate for decryption. Portable devices can be managed remotely and can be locked anytime using remote management services like Jamf for macs. Any organization must adhere strictly to track the user needs and authenticate/approve only when the user has rights or privileges to do so.

It is essential to have a robust, automated offboarding process. This ensures when an employee is identified as potentially engaging in nefarious activity, you can quickly and fully revoke their access to all systems/resources. SSO can help here. All supported apps should be federated w/your IdP (Entra ID, Okta, etc.). Disabling the account at the IdP ensures access to all federated apps is terminated. Be sure to revoke the user's token in applications that may have excessive session timeouts. Your offboard process should document all apps your user has access to. For those that don't support SSO, disable the account manually. Robust logging is critical in identifying an audit trail of the user's activities for the ensuing investigation.