Internal
or Insider threats are far more dangerous than
the external.
In the 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index, IBM found that 60% of all attacks were
carried out by insiders that you trust. Of these attacks, three-quarters
involved malicious intent, and one-quarter involved careless negligence.
Cyber thieves use personal information
to launch spear phishing attacks, commit fraud with social security numbers to steal
medical identities to obtain fraudulent prescriptions or merely to blackmail.
IBM Security research found healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services
are the top three industries under attack, due to their personal data,
intellectual property, physical inventory, and massive economic assets.
During
a recent visit to a large Midwest healthcare payer/provider with over 23,000
employees at their cybersecurity awareness event, a panel member stated that
the average cost of each Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is worth over $1350.
In the article below, "Your Electronic Medical Records Could Be Worth $1000 To
Hackers" – Mariya Yao outlines where the most threats
originate. Internally.
One can cancel credit cards and even change social security
numbers, but health information cannot be changed or canceled. But if there is
a breach, hackers can blackmail for a lifetime.
Threat, published in Harvard Business Review:
Rogue players from inside companies
steal identities to hack into their assets. When I worked at IBM Corporation, I
held dual responsibilities for application and server security. I learned
firsthand how effectively IBM implements multi-layer protection from internal
and external threats which is critical in today’s connected world. It’s
interesting to learn from Marc van Zadelhoff about Cyber Security Intelligence
Index and his thoughts on Insider Threats. While the value of the records in
industries and sectors differ substantially, the threats businesses have in common
are people, assets, and the technology. All three have the potential to be an insider
threat.
15 Approaches to
Minimize Potential Insider Threats: While
this is not the complete list, it helps begin the thought process. Ask the IT
staff how they ensure “insider malware” is not present already in the network
and what precautions are taken so far?
- The risk-based approach addresses each problem individually and is a cost-effective approach with the best results.
- Automation is the key. Logging and automating the process of checking the logs for unusual activities is a good idea. Keyword-driven automation testing frameworks might be a fit for the organization. Involve existing resources (e.g., Automation Architects.) Use their expertise to build automation programs to filter, detect and alert based on relevant keywords to identify unusual activities from the large log files. Security and Automation architects should work together, follow a lean approach to achieve the best results.
- Regular auditing of high-risk users or employees who have a past problem history with their verbal/non-verbal cues and who are dissatisfied with their job.
- Know who the weak links are and working with HR to identify them.
- Identify information that is lucrative to rogue players and protect that with additional layers of security.
- Traditional methods of investing time and resources in background checks and pre-employment screening still prove valuable.
- Cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link is. All cybersecurity tools and technologies are one side of the coin and the employees are the other. Employees are often an afterthought of significant cybersecurity incidents or breaches.
- Conduct Risk Assessment, Insider Threat Analysis, and Identity Privilege Management. Delete inactive users, contractors, vendors, and vendor ids.
- Implement multi-factor authentication. Rotate the critical responsibilities between the employees randomly. Financial institutions have yielded positive results with this approach for decades.
- Conduct Basic Social Engineering Attacks and Prevention methods periodically (Phishing, Baiting, Tailgating, Quid Pro Quo, etc.)
- Patching and manually checking the patches are actually applied and are the latest version.
- Conquer easy things first and then move to next harder threat.
- Phish - top to bottom and bottom to top in the organization.
- Carefully monitor USB ports, network and look for any abnormal activities.
- Monitor vendors and contractors activities strictly. If there is a doubt, phish with relevant content. See who gives the information that they should not. Train.
Something we implemented at IBM and
TechVelocityPartners.com which produced better ROI is “strictly enforcing the
separation of duties and identifying least privileges required to perform the
job from day one.” This should be the first thing to be done.
No industry or organization is immune to
cyber threats. IBM in the 2016
Cyber Security Intelligence Index suggests
how to outthink threats.
It's time for all organizations, boards,
executives, and security leaders to realize that addressing compliance
requirements, conducting risk assessments, annual penetration testing or
incident response exercises is enough. A single careless employee or a loophole
is all a hacker needs to steal millions of dollars’ worth of data and cause
irreparable harm to the organization.
The security experts at IBM suggests
these four essential steps toward developing a strategic cybersecurity
program:
- Prioritize business objectives and set the risk tolerance
- Protect the organization with a proactive security plan
- Prepare a response for the inevitable and sophisticated attacks
- Promote and support a culture of security awareness
COST MATTERS
Executives almost immediately ask about cost of such best practices. A
thorough and well implemented security plan don’t need to be exorbitantly
priced.
Can you find consultants who combine excellent work at a reasonable
cost? It’s not easy to find cybersecurity/business technology consultants with
the needed industry expertise who can also easily prove the ROI. Instead of a
typical consultant model with “ideas” only and no “implementation”, they are
the ones who work relentlessly to solve the problems with passion rather than a
desire for a quick contract.
My IT and business advisory processes have been
honed over the past two decades across the globe in a variety of small, medium
and large enterprises and assisted in expert decision making around “partner,”
“buy” or “build” decisions to enable business strategies. I served in
leadership capacities at a range of companies including TechVelocityPartners.com, Cox Group, CUNA, IBM Corporation, Corcoran
Real Estate, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Global Healthcare Rehabilitation and more
and responsible for strategy, innovation, corporate growth, operations,
P&L, and product management.
As a management consultant, I
am supported by 2 proven global IT sourcing companies (610 +employees) to
achieve quantifiable results, and lessen the risk of working with unknown or
newly hired vendors.
I am a unique business-minded IT
professional...and a technology-minded
business strategist, who advances projects
and initiatives with an out of the box approach…
I
have observed that some departments view their role as supporting the
objectives of a cost center (overhead.)
I focus on:
1) Acquiring/developing
cost-effective, business-appropriate technology, and
2)
Using IT as a means to attract, keep, engage employees and customers... while
generating sales, increasing profitability and
satisfied customers guided by the "Rotary 4-way test."
- Are you prepared to accelerate the business success by transforming into an omnichannel digital enterprise, for a better long-term marketplace position?
- Are you confident that your IT advisors are helping you exceed your business goals?
- Are you satisfied in the way your company calculates ROIT (return on IT spend)?
- Are you sure when a new product or service is developed, the TCO (Total cost of ownership) is reduced, and the ROIT is improved?
I help
companies answer those questions and achieve their goals.
I have
accreditations from Harvard University
(Cybersecurity: Managing Organization's Critical Business Systems, Networks,
Data and Risk In The IT Age), The Indian
Institute of Technology (1 Year course in IT), an MBA from Madurai University, India, Mini MBA in Healthcare from University of St. Thomas, MN. I am a
recognized public speaker, an author on Digital Transformation and
Cybersecurity. I’m an experienced past
board member for 3 for-profit US companies and non-profit. 1) ArtSpace
International, owned 25 Art galleries in GA; 2) Global Rehabilitation, a
healthcare company in MN; 3) EdTrainU.com - most mgmnt consultants are Ph.D.’s
in their specialty; Non-profit – RisingStar Outreach, and serving as a
President at Plymouth Rotary.
Feel free to comment
on your experiences or tactics you found useful in
uncovering insider
threats/risks.
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