Despite significant investments in cybersecurity tools like Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP), insider risks continue to grow. Why? These tools primarily focus on actions, logs, and event recognition rather than taking a deep, sophisticated approach to understanding human behavior over time. Insider threats—whether from negligence, malicious intent, or compromised users—are notoriously difficult to detect.

Recognizing the indicators of insider risk before they turn into threats requires a paradigm shift in the way we operate. It necessitates moving from a reactive mode of operation to proactive. And it requires data that is continuously captured and analyzed to enable security teams to easily see patterns and anomalies and gauge the level of risk of specific behaviors.

Elizabeth Harz, CEO of Veriato, sits down with Chris Hughes from Acceleration Economy for an exclusive interview to discuss the evolving landscape of insider risk management.

User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) is vital in safeguarding sensitive information and systems. It offers an innovative and dynamic security approach beyond traditional measures. By analyzing and comparing user behavior patterns against established baselines, UEBA systems intelligently detect anomalies that could signify a security breach.

Insider threat detection in corporate security is essential due to insiders’ access to sensitive information and potential for harm. This challenge extends beyond employees to contractors and automated systems, encompassing risks like data breaches and espionage. With workplaces becoming digitalized, traditional security measures fall short, necessitating a comprehensive approach that blends technology, policy, and culture.

Threat detection is essential, as it serves to locate and minimize the threat as quickly and effectively as possible. However, some companies are starting to embrace an earlier line of defense that Gartner calls human-centric security. The tech research firm lists it as the number one cyber security trend of 2023 and has forecasted that 50% of CISOs will adopt this new approach by 2027.

According to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report, worker stress is at an all-time high. While other issues related to the pandemic have subsided, stress is causing trouble for organizations, especially those with remote workers, where it is harder to spot issues. Where there is stress, there is risk. Employees make more mistakes and are more likely to intentionally create other problems for employers.

March 2023 marks approximately three years since the world shut down at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, organizations have seen their workforce change considerably. What was originally a short term plan to work from home has become ingrained in our new work culture. According to a recent LinkedIn poll, at-home work is ticking back up. Only 50% of workers are in the office full-time, the rest work from home full-time or have a hybrid schedule.