Management and mitigation of insider threats

Abstract

The problems that insiders can pose to an organization are causes of great concern especially when one considers the high costs of sabotage damage to information systems, lost competitive advantage due to fraud or theft of intellectual property, and in the case of the federal government, damage to national security interests due to sabotage or espionage. The topic of insider threat is a vast area for consideration as there are so many different ways in which people working for organizations might lose, steal, or somehow cause damage to organizations’ information, information systems, personnel, and other valuable resources. Thus, it is important to begin by defining the scope of this chapter and definitions of insider threat. From there, a delineation of the personal and situational factors associated with insider threats will commence. Then, there is a discussion of a variety of promising research methodologies that will move the science forward. Finally, the chapter closes with a look at prevention, management, and mitigation strategies.