September is the third annual National Insider Threat Awareness Month, which is a collaborative effort between the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), the National Insider Threat Task Force (NITTF), the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Intelligence and Security, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security to emphasize the importance of detecting, deterring, and reporting insider threats.
National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) is an effort to educate government, industry and academia in the dangers of insider threats and resources for preventing and mitigating the threats. NITAM encourages employees to identify and report concerning or suspicious behavior to enable a better chance of successful intervention.
Insider threats are harmful acts by employees who take advantage of accessing their organization’s system. Neither government agencies nor civilian companies are immune to insider threat.
“The risks to government and industry from insider threats are severe. These threats can take many forms, whether it’s a federal employee coopted by a foreign adversary to steal sensitive information or a corporate employee clicking on a spear-phishing link that infects their company’s networks,” said NCSC Acting Director Michael Orlando. “Through this campaign, we hope to bring much-needed attention to insider threats and help organizations and their employees prevent and mitigate these issues early on.”
This year’s theme is “Insider Threat and Cultural Awareness.” According to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), insider threats are less risky for organizations with healthy work cultures. Employees are more likely to be engaged, trusting, and loyal when the organization demonstrates that it cares about its workforce by creating and maintaining a positive culture.
View resources below to learn how you can identify insider threat risks and behavioral indicators and improve the work culture of your organization.
Resources
Understanding the Insider Threat Video by the Cyber Security & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
A Holistic Approach to Mitigating Insider Threats by the Cyber Security & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Insider Threat Mitigation Resources by the Cyber Security & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Theft of Trade Secrets Case Study by the Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE)
Cultural Competence and Insider Risk PDF by the Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE)
Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks PDF by the FBI
Learn more about National Insider Threat Awareness Month.
