The insider threat is responsible for half of all data breaches, with accidental loss making up the majority of those breaches. However, only 20% of CIOs are focused on accidental threat.
At the Infosecurity Magazine Conference in Boston, 06-07 December 2016, Egress Software Technologies CEO Tony Pepper presented on how to detect and contain the insider threat.
The latest Breach Level Industry Report shows a 15% increase in data breaches globally, a 31% increase in numbers of records breached, and an average per capita cost of $221 per record.
“Controlling the exit of content to protect from the insider threat – be it accidental or malicious – is essential,” according to Pepper. “The Board likes to hear about encryption, it’s the default answer now, the minimum standard. I think that a blend of message-level and TLS is the best and most pragmatic approach to encrypting information in transit.”
Pepper also advocates restricting and auditing access. “Give end-users choices when classifying data, but remember there are some choices that you must force. Always try and avoid displeasing the user. Technology really needs to get easier.”
Trying to remove your user from the problem and solution won’t work, said Pepper. “User education is critical for all technology. Engage your end-users and empower them to make conscious decisions.” Just remember that some decisions must be taken out of their hands, Pepper countered.
“The main challenge for information security professionals is understanding where the gaps in their knowledge are and what are the unknowns.” Pepper’s solution is to run a compliance audit, track what data is being accessed, look at authorized and non-authorized attempts, and look for a platform that will tackle all of the ways that data can be shared externally.
“Think logically and strategically about the way you deliver technology. Think about all the ways that data can be shared externally and look for a platform which will tackle all,” concluded Pepper.