Page 14 - FCW, Nov/Dec 2016

SPECIAL REPORT CYBERSECURITY: INSIDER THREATS
Detect and Deter Insider Threats: A Before, During and After Approach
s recently as just a few years ago, government agencies were able to stem the tide of insider threats by improving background checks, locking down
external media like USB drives,
and minimizing the use of personal mobile devices at work. While these techniques are still viable, they are not enough to prevent the growing threat posed by insider threats.
Today, there are more connected devices than ever before. Everything from refrigerators and smoke detectors to health bands and lighting are part of a vast interconnected network—with more devices on
the way. Gartner predicts nearly 21 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020.1 That doesn’t even include smartphones, tablets, and computers.
While these devices bring exciting new capabilities, they also represent new network access points—and
a huge threat to the network and everything on it. Agencies will
have to continuously monitor these devices because they create new attack vectors for hackers, both from within and outside the organization.
In addition to the threats posed by expanding networks, hackers are evolving and innovating. Hacking has become a big business and stealthy threat actors have grown much more capable of infiltrating modern networks.
While external hacking remains a significant concern, insider threats comprise a significant percentage
1 Gartner, Forecast Analysis: Internet of Things – Endpoints, Worldwide, December 2015
of all cyber issues. Three out of 10 cyberattacks and breaches are caused by insiders.2 Despite the pervasiveness of insider threats, nearly one-third of organizations have no effective way to prevent or deter them.3
The U.S. government clearly understands the importance
of thwarting insider threats. In addition to its 2011 executive order establishing the National Insider Threat Task Force, the OMB recently issued the Cybersecurity Strategy
2 PwC, The Global State of Information Secu- rity Survey 2015, September 2014
and Implementation Plan. This plan includes bolstering efforts against insider threats.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Service has also taken steps requiring contractors to implement programs to identify, deter, and mitigate insider threats. And it’s starting to make a difference.
More than 75 percent of federal respondents are now more focused on fighting insider threats today than they were a year ago, and more
3 SANS Institute, Insider Threats and the Need for Fast and Directed Response, April 2015
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