"The greatest information security threat is not from the professional social engineer, nor from the skilled computer intruder, but from someone much closer: the just-fired employee seeking revenge or hoping to set himself up in business using information stolen from the company."
Along with other cyberthreats, insider threats are one of the biggest dangers affecting enterprises today. Disgruntled employees, accidental data leaks, or compromised insiders can all cause serious harm, involving monetary losses, operational interruptions, and damage to one’s reputation.
According to the 2024 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024[1], insider-related incidents cost USD 4.99M on average. Deception technology is an essential tool for insider threat defense because traditional security solutions struggle to identify and effectively neutralize insider threats.
What Is an Insider Threat?
Any risk posed to an organization by people who have authorized access to its networks, systems, or data but who, whether on purpose or accidentally, abuse this access to jeopardize security, disrupt operations, or steal confidential information is known as an insider threat. Because these threats come from trusted users who often have elevated permissions and in-depth knowledge of internal procedures and security restrictions, they are particularly considered dangerous. Risks posed by employees or contractors with authorized access are examples of potential insider threats.
Insider threats fall into three primary categories
1. Malicious Insiders
For their own benefit, retaliation, or other malicious reasons, these people purposefully do harm to the organization. Disgruntled employees, contractors, or even executives who abuse their power may all be considered malicious insiders.
Common tactics used by malicious insiders include:
- Data Theft – Stealing intellectual property, financial records, or customer data.
- Fraud – Manipulating records, engaging in unauthorized transactions.
- Sabotage – Act of deleting important files, injecting malware, or interfering with operations.
Example: Edward Snowden’s leaks of NSA documents illustrate the impact of malicious insiders.
2. Negligent Insiders
Negligent insiders are staff members or third parties who unintentionally reveal sensitive data because of poor cybersecurity hygiene, ignorance, or disregard for security protocols. These incidents often result from:
- Weak Passwords – Reusing passwords, neglecting multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Phishing Attacks – Clicking on malicious links, getting redirected to fake pages finally leading to credential theft.
- Improper Data Handling – Sending private documents across unprotected channels.
Fact: As per Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report[2], human error accounts for 12% of insider threats.
3. Compromised Insiders
External attackers can occasionally take over insiders’ accounts and turn them into unintentional threats by using malware or social engineering techniques. These people, in contrast to malicious insiders, have no ill intent, but their compromised accounts provide cybercriminals with entry points.
Common techniques used by attackers to compromise insiders include:
- Credential Theft – It includes data breaches and phishing attacks.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC) – Impersonating executives to steal funds or data.
- Remote Access Exploits – Exploiting VPN or cloud misconfigurations.
Stat: IBM’s 2024 Cost of Insider Threats Report found these incidents cost an average of $16.2 million per breach due to prolonged detection time.
How Can Companies Reduce Insider Threats in 2025?
1. Implement a Zero Trust Security Model
Zero Trust is a security framework that assumes no user or device should be inherently trusted, even those within the network perimeter. To strengthen security against insider threats, organizations should adopt:
- Strict Identity Verification – Implement MFA and continuous identity validation.
- Least-Privilege Access (LPA) – Grant only necessary permissions.
- Micro-Segmentation – Limit access to specific network segments.
- Continuous Monitoring – Use AI to detect unusual activity.
Applying Zero Trust minimizes unauthorized access and privilege misuse.
2. User Behavior Monitoring
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) is an important tool as it analyzes deviations from baseline behavior. Companies can enhance insider threat detection by monitoring:
- Off-Hours Access – Unusual login attempts outside normal work hours.
- Geolocation Discrepancies – Logins from suspicious locations.
- Unusual Data Movement – Large file transfers or repeated classified access.
- Privileged Account Misuse – Unauthorized admin-level changes.
3. Automate Access Reviews
Manually managing user permissions can lead to over privileged accounts that increase insider risk. To mitigate this, organizations should:
- Conduct Regular Access Audits – Ensure roles align with business needs.
- Automate Deprovisioning – Revoke access when employees leave or change roles.
- Use Just-In-Time (JIT) Access – Grant high-privilege access only when needed.
- Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) – Assign permissions by role.
Automation reduces human error and limits unauthorized access.
4. Leverage Deception Technology
A proactive cybersecurity plan must include cyber deception in order for enterprises to detect, delay, and divert insider threats. Deception solutions work by deploying:
- Decoys – Fake assets designed to lure attackers.
- Breadcrumbs – False data leading intruders into controlled environments.
- High-Fidelity Alerts – Any interaction with deception assets signals a threat.
- Lateral Movement Detection – Identifies unauthorized privilege escalation.
Strong Proactive Defense Against Insider Threats
Learn how Fidelis Deception® transforms cybersecurity with:
- Realistic decoys
- Automated threat detection
- High-fidelity alerts
By misleading potential attackers, cyber deception technology buys valuable time for security teams to respond to insider threats before actual damage occurs. Fidelis Deception®, for example, automates terrain mapping and creates realistic deception layers that expose insider threats early in the attack cycle.
What Is Deception Technology and How Does It Work?
Deception technology is a proactive cybersecurity approach that deploys decoys within an organization’s network to deceive attackers posing internal threats. Unlike traditional security tools that focus only on preventive approach, deception technology anticipates breaches that might happen and actively engage attackers with fake assets so that it can detect and neutralize them before they cause any significant damage.
Key Components of Deception Technology:
1. Decoys: Tricking Attackers into Revealing Themselves
Decoys are fake but convincing assets that simulate valuable targets, such as:
- Fictitious databases filled with seemingly critical but worthless data.
- Fake credentials that lead attackers into controlled environments.
- Mimicked applications and servers that appear legitimate but serve no operational purpose.
Any interaction with a decoy signals potential malicious intent, allowing security teams to respond immediately.
2. Breadcrumbs: Diverting Threats Away from Real Assets
Breadcrumbs are planted trails of false information designed to mislead attackers. These include:
- Stored credentials that appear to grant access to critical systems but actually lead to monitored deception traps.
- Registry keys and network shares that look genuine but lead attackers into dead-end deception environments.
By steering attackers toward controlled deception layers, breadcrumbs help security teams observe their tactics while preventing real damage.
3. Lateral Movement Detection: Identifying Unauthorized Network Access
Deception technology tracks how attackers move within a network after gaining access. It detects:
- Unauthorized access to decoy systems that legitimate users wouldn’t engage with.
- Privilege escalation attempts by insiders seeking unauthorized admin control.
- Abnormal internal traffic patterns that suggest an insider is probing for weaknesses.
As insiders have legitimate credentials, lateral movement detection becomes necessary for identifying unauthorized activities before important assets are at risk.
4. High-Fidelity Alerts: Reducing False Positives
By identifying only genuine threats, deception technology produces high-confidence alerts, in contrast to traditional security systems that produce an excessive number of false alarms. Because legitimate users have no reason to interact with deception assets, any engagement is a strong indicator of malicious intent.
Why Deception Technology Works?
Deception technology turns an organization’s IT environment into a hostile terrain for attackers by:
- Detecting threats early, before they reach real assets.
- Gathering intelligence on attacker behavior to refine security strategies.
- Delaying adversaries, buying security teams more time to respond effectively.
How Deception Helps Mitigate Insider Threats?
Organizations can lure malicious insiders, detect negligent behaviors, and prevent unauthorized access by deploying decoys, breadcrumbs, and deception layers. Distinguishing between normal behavior and potentially malicious activity is critical for security teams. Here’s how deception enhances insider threat mitigation:
1. Early Threat Detection
Deception technology plants fake credentials, files, and systems that legitimate users have no reason to interact with. Any engagement with these deceptive assets is a strong indicator of malicious activity.
- High Accuracy: Deception-based alerts have a high accuracy rate, minimizing false positives.
- Immediate Alerts: Security teams receive real-time notifications when an insider interacts with deception assets, allowing for quick response.
2. Reducing Dwell Time and Slowing Down Attackers
Malicious insiders often move laterally within networks to escalate privileges or access sensitive data. Deception technology disrupts this process by leading them into controlled environments where their activities can be monitored.
- Dwell Time Reduction: Insider threats remain undetected for an average of 85 days[3], but deception technology reduces this number.
- Containment: Attackers waste time navigating deceptive environments, delaying their ability to compromise real assets.
3. Identifying Malicious Intent
Unlike traditional security measures that rely on behavioral analytics alone, deception directly exposes malicious intent.
- Credential Theft Detection: Reports state that insider threats involve stolen credentials. Deception catches attackers attempting to use these credentials before they access real systems.
- Privileged Account Monitoring: Any unauthorized attempts to use high-level credentials within the deception layer indicate insider misuse.
4. Strengthening Forensic Investigations
Deception technology doesn’t just detect threats—it collects valuable intelligence on attack patterns, helping security teams refine defenses.
- Detailed Attack Traces: Organizations using deception track insider threat activity with greater accuracy than those relying on traditional monitoring tools.
- TTP Analysis: By studying how insiders interact with deception assets, organizations can improve their security policies and detect weaknesses before they are exploited.
5. Optimizing Existing Security Measures
Deception seamlessly integrates with SIEM, XDR, and UEBA platforms to provide a multi-layered defense.
- Cross-Referencing Alerts: By combining behavioral analytics and deception alerts, security teams can verify suspicious behavior.
- Proactive Defense: Deception technology assists in preventing breaches before they worsen, instead of responding to security events after they have occurred.
Real-World Case Studies on Insider Threats
# 1 Twitter’s Insider Breach
In 2020, Twitter faced a high-profile insider attack when employees were manipulated into providing access to internal tools. Hackers used these privileges to gain access to internal tools and compromise verified accounts, including those of Elon Musk and Barack Obama. If deception technology had been in place, fake administrative credentials or decoy tools could have identified unauthorized access attempts early.
# 2 Tesla’s Insider Sabotage Attempt
In 2020, Tesla detected an insider attempting to disrupt the company network. The insider, a dissatisfied employee, tried to steal sensitive information and change the manufacturing processes. Deception-based insider threat mitigation could have identified and prevented these detrimental actions sooner.
Master terrain-based cybersecurity to fortify your defenses:
- Understand attack surface
- Deploy decoy
- Enhance visibility
Detecting Insider Threats with Deception: Why It’s Essential
Traditional security solutions like firewalls and endpoint detection systems are built to stop external attackers. However, insider threats operate within trusted access, making them harder to detect. Deception for insider threats works by:
- Creating honeypots that appear to be high-value assets.
- Deploying fake credentials that insiders may attempt to use.
- Placing traps within databases, file servers, and endpoints to detect unauthorized access.
The Role of Fidelis Deception® in Insider Threat Protection
Fidelis Deception® revolutionizes insider threat detection by deploying active deception layers across networks, endpoints, and cloud environments. Key benefits include:
- Continuous Terrain Mapping: Automatically identifies high-risk assets and likely attack points.
- Adaptive Deception: Uses machine learning to dynamically generate decoys that mimic real assets.
- High-Fidelity Alerts: Limits false positives by ensuring alerts are only triggered when deceptive assets are used.
- Integrated Threat Intelligence: Captures detailed insights on attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to strengthen cyber defenses.
- Active Directory Protection: Detects unauthorized access attempts by generating fake AD credentials and monitoring interactions.
Conclusion
In 2025, insider threats will still be on the rise and present serious concerns to businesses all over the world. Deception technology provides a strong, proactive defense against them. Organizations can uncover malicious insiders, minimize dwell time, and stop data loss before it occurs by incorporating this technology into their cybersecurity strategies.
The time to act is now—before an insider threat becomes your next major security incident.
