Not all threats to an organization’s security come from the outside. Many of them may come from its own people. These are categorized as “insider threats.”
“Insiders” can refer to employees, third-party associates, or partners who have access to your network. Some insider threats are accidental. This happens when an employee is, for instance, tricked into giving out proprietary information (a secret recipe, access rights to the corporate bank account, and so on) through blackmail or extortion.
Others can be downright malicious. In this case, the insider deliberately wished to cause potential harm. An example of this would be a disgruntled employee who accepted a bribe from your company’s major competitor to pass on confidential information to them.
Insider threats are like rot-causing molds or insects that weaken wood from within.
Other interesting terms…
