When people hear the term insider threat, they often imagine a disgruntled employee deliberately trying to harm their company. While that can happen, the reality is much harder to detect and avoid.
An insider threat encompasses any security risk that comes from someone who already has legitimate access to systems, data, or facilities.
That includes employees, contractors, vendors, and even temporary staff members.
Think about any time you’ve sent a file to the wrong recipient, uploaded to a personal cloud account, reused passwords, or pasted sensitive data into an AI tool to “save time.”
No hacking skills required. Major damage done.
Preventing insider threats isn’t about suspicion but awareness.
- Pause before sharing sensitive data
- Double-check recipients
- Question unusal requests
- Use approved systems only
- Avoid shortcuts that bypass safety
- Speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
Most insider threats aren’t malicious at all. They’re the result of normal people making mistakes in a fast-paced digital work environment…but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous.
Staying aware of your own workstation and interactions, and noticing if someone else in the office starts acting oddly, can stop an insider threat before it starts!
Insider threats don’t start with bad intentions– they start with small mistakes. Strengthen your team’s awareness and reduce risk with cybersecurity training from Online Computers.
