Insider Threat

What is an Insider Threat?

An insider threat arises when someone within an organisation such as an employee, contractor, or trusted partner misuses their legitimate access to compromise the organisation’s security, either intentionally or unintentionally.

These threats can involve the theft of sensitive information, sabotage, unauthorised disclosure, fraud, or accidental data leaks. Because insiders already have authorised access, these threats are often harder to detect and prevent than external cyberattacks.

Why Insider Threats Matter

While many organisations invest heavily in defending against external attacks, insider threats bypass traditional security barriers. The impact can be severe, including:

  • Exposure of confidential or classified information

  • Financial and reputational damage

  • Operational disruption

  • Regulatory and legal consequences

Insider incidents often go undetected for extended periods, making them more damaging and costly than many external breaches.

Data, Statistics & Case Studies

  • The UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey (2024) found that 38% of large organisations experienced a security incident involving insiders within the past year.

  • Case Study: A disgruntled employee at a UK financial institution deliberately leaked sensitive customer information to competitors. The breach went undetected for weeks, resulting in regulatory fines, reputational damage, and the loss of key clients.

  • Case Study: A Western firm was hacked after unknowingly hiring a North Korean operative posing as a remote IT contractor.
    Despite completing vetting and background checks, the individual used falsified details to pass recruitment.

    Once hired, they gained remote access to internal systems, stole sensitive company data, and later issued a ransom demand for a six-figure sum in cryptocurrency.

    These examples illustrate the diversity, cost, and complexity of insider threats in modern organisations.

Our Approach

At True North Alliance, we understand that insider threats are not solely a technical issue, they are deeply rooted in human behaviour and organisational culture.

Our approach combines intelligence-led analysis, behavioural insight, and robust security frameworks to help clients identify, assess, and mitigate insider risks before they escalate.

Our services include:

  • Recruitment triaging through AI Voice Analytics

  • Insider threat detection and monitoring strategies

  • Enhanced Due Diligence Investigations

  • Policy design and staff training programmes

  • Incident response planning and support

By integrating human and technical perspectives, we help organisations build a proactive and resilient defence against insider threats.