Seeing is Securing: Why Insider Threats Could Be Your Company’s Biggest Blind Spot

Key Takeaways:

• Insider Threats Are Growing—In 2024, 76% of organizations faced insider attacks, yet most remain unprepared.
• Not Just Malicious Actors – Mistakes, negligence, and lack of training cause more damage than intentional sabotage.
• The Costs Are High – Insider incidents lead to data loss, brand damage, and operational disruptions.
• Visibility is Critical—Real-time monitoring and UEBA help detect threats before they escalate, which are critical components of Insider Risk Management(IRM).
• Security is a Business Issue – Insider risk isn’t just IT’s problem—leaders must take a proactive, company-wide approach.

Why Insider Threats Could Be Your Company’s Biggest Blind Spot 

You lock the doors to your office. You secure your systems with firewalls and antivirus software. You’ve got two-factor authentication for everything. But here’s the hard truth: the biggest threat to your organization might already be inside the building—or logged into your network.

The stats don’t lie. Insider threats have been steadily climbing, with 76% of organizations experiencing attacks in 2024, up from 66% just five years ago​.

And these aren’t just minor issues. We’re talking about critical data walking out the door, brands losing credibility, and operations grinding to a halt. Yet, most businesses are still playing catch-up.

If you can’t see what’s happening inside your own walls, whether physical or virtual—you’re flying blind. And in today’s high-stakes environment, that’s a risk you can’t afford.

Insider Threats: They’re Closer Than You Think

Think insider risks only come from rogue employees with malicious intent? Think again. Research shows that most incidents aren’t about sabotage or espionage; they’re about careless mistakes, oversights, or overwhelmed and untrained​ employees.

Imagine this:

• A well-meaning employee downloads sensitive data to work from home but forgets to secure their device.
• A manager shares login credentials with a third-party vendor who wasn’t vetted.
• A staffer clicks on a phishing email and doesn’t report it because they’re embarrassed.

These “innocent” mistakes can cost millions of dollars, take months to clean up, and erode trust with customers and partners.

Now layer in malicious actors: disgruntled employees looking to make a quick buck or wreak havoc before leaving. Financial gain is the top motivation for insider threats, with 50% of cases tied to it. And when they’re not after money, some employees are out to damage your reputation.​

Why You’re Still Vulnerable

If you think you’ve got insider risks covered, ask yourself this:

• Do you know which employees accessed sensitive files last week?
• Can you spot unusual behavior in real-time, like a sudden spike in data downloads?
• Do your teams—IT, HR, compliance, legal—actually talk to each other about insider threats?

Here’s the kicker: 90% of businesses say insider threats are just as hard (if not harder) to detect than external attacks​.

Even when you do catch something, how often is it too late?

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is relying solely on IT tools to manage insider risks. As MITRE’s research shows, insider threats aren’t just technical—they’re human.​ Observable Human Indicators (OHIs), like unusual behavior or privilege abuse, often reveal risks before the damage is done. But most companies don’t have the systems—or the culture—to connect the dots​.

Real Damage, Real Costs

When insider attacks happen, they hit where it hurts:

• 45% of companies lose critical data.
• 43% take a hit to their brand reputation.
• 41% experience operational disruptions that can cripple their business​.

Picture this: Your operations team is down for two days because an insider incident wiped out key systems. The downtime costs you six figures. Worse, your customers start wondering if they can trust you with their data anymore. These aren’t hypothetical situations—they’re happening every day. So the question isn’t “if” an insider threat will hit you; it’s “when.”

What You Can Do Right Now

You don’t need a crystal ball to prevent insider threats—you need visibility. And you need it yesterday.

Here’s where to start:

• Invest in Real-Time Monitoring: Insider Risk Management(IRM) tools that use activity monitoring with advanced behavior analytics to connect tracking to behavior and escalate and alert in real-time are essential to your security arsenal. They are a proactive approach to insider risk.
• Break Down Silos: Bring together IT, HR, compliance, and legal teams to tackle insider risks as a united front​.
• ​Focus on Prevention, Not Just Reaction: Train employees to recognize and report risks. Don’t just punish mistakes—help employees understand how their actions impact security. This visibility will also enhance your ability to see where the workforce needs further training.
• Adopt a Human-Centric Approach: Recognize that insider risks are as much about behavior as technology. Loyalty, culture, and organizational trust all play a role.​

Above all, stop thinking of this as an IT problem. It’s a business problem, a human problem—and it’s one you can’t ignore any longer.

A Wake-Up Call for Leaders

Here’s the bottom line: Insider risks aren’t going away. They’re getting smarter, faster, and harder to spot, especially with remote work and the exploding use of technology and communication vehicles like Slack, texts, and more.

Proactive insider risk management isn’t just about protecting data—it’s about safeguarding your reputation, operations, and future. And it starts with one question:

Do you really know what’s happening inside your organization?

At Veriato, we are at the forefront of mature insider risk management. Learn more about Veriato Cerebral IRM to understand the future of security. 

FAQ’s

Q:What is an insider threat?
A:Insider threats blend into everyday activity, making them difficult to distinguish from legitimate work. Unlike external hackers, insiders already have access to systems, meaning traditional security tools like firewalls and antivirus software aren’t enough..

Q:Why are insider threats harder to detect than external cyberattacks?
A:An insider threat refers to risks posed by employees, contractors, or partners with access to an organization’s systems. These threats can be intentional (e.g., data theft, sabotage) or unintentional (e.g., negligence, human error).

Q: What are some common examples of insider threats?
A:Common examples include:

• An employee downloading sensitive data to an unsecured personal device.
• A manager sharing credentials with an unauthorized third party.
• An employee clicking a phishing link and failing to report it.
• A disgruntled worker stealing confidential information before resigning.

Q: What are the consequences of an insider threat incident?
A:Undetected incidents have far reaching consequences such as:

• Loss of sensitive business data.
• Legal and compliance penalties.
• Brand reputation damage.
• Operational downtime, leading to revenue loss.

Q: What can companies do to prevent insider threats?
A: Companies can take several steps to prevent insider threats including:

• Implement real-time monitoring with User Activity Monitoring (UAM) and User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA).
• Break down silos by aligning IT, HR, legal, and compliance teams.
• Train employees on cybersecurity best practices.
• Establish a culture of trust where employees feel safe reporting mistakes.
• Take a proactive, human-centric approach—insider threats are as much about behavior as technology..

Q: How does Veriato help with insider risk management?
A: Veriato provides industry-leading User Activity Monitoring (UAM) and advanced analytics to detect and prevent insider threats before they cause harm. Veriato Cerebral delivers real-time visibility, risk scoring, and behavioral insights to help organizations protect their data, reputation, and operations.