Danger from within: Five tips for protection against internal perpetrators
Ransomware, Trojans and malware - companies often consider hacker attacks to be the greatest security risk. But it is not always attackers from outside who exploit gaps in the company network. Employees from within the company can also use their extensive access capabilities to misuse data without much effort. Organizations are rarely as well equipped with resources and tools against internal attacks as they are against attacks from outside.
With the following five tips, companies can effectively protect themselves against data loss by internal perpetrators:
1. introduce differentiated access rights
In order to protect sensitive data, it is necessary to provide employees from different departments with the appropriate access rights. This fulfills the security objective of the need-to-know principle: If documents and data records are not immediately needed for a task, the respective employee is not granted access. Various levels of access can be used to create "Chinese walls" within the company that prevent the exchange of information between different departments. In this way, the extent of data loss can be limited.
2. use high-security two-factor authentication
To keep the risk as low as possible, a two-step authentication is recommended as a further step. To access the system, for example, the user not only has to enter his password, but also receives an SMS TAN - a transaction number that is only valid for one session. In this way, inside perpetrators cannot gain access to sensitive information and data despite a stolen password.
3. shield information
Additional protection is provided by shielding data: Providers, for example, should not have access to files and documents under any circumstances. The rights of administrators can also be restricted to information that is relevant to their activities.
4. implement information rights management
Information rights management technologies can be used to control sensitive documents and protect them from unauthorized downloading. This effectively maintains control over documents even when users are authorized to access the information. Dynamically embedded watermarks also prevent users from photographing the screen. Thus, the data remains in its protected environment and does not fall into the hands of third parties or bystanders.
5. record history in an audit-proof manner
To prevent data theft by an insider or to uncover it after the fact, it makes sense to record all processes in an audit-proof history. This enables a consistently transparent and traceable flow of information.
Gabriel Gabriel, Managing Director of Brainloop Switzerland, on the growing threat from inside perpetrators: "In recent years, we have observed that data breaches are increasingly attributable to insiders. Companies often make it very easy for their own employees to obtain and disseminate sensitive data due to a lack of security standards and precautions. In the event of a data loss, however, it is not only the company's image that suffers. Rather, the financial and legal consequences can also threaten the economic existence. Brainloop therefore advocates compliance with the above security standards to mitigate the risk for companies."
Source: Brainloop
