Savvy administrators recognize that because end users are privy to an organization's sensitive data, they represent a significant risk factor. However, mitigating this threat is something that security pros continue to struggle with. While no single, "silver bullet" solution exists, there are steps organizations can take to ensure that corporate policies are effectively enforced and the insider threat is neutralized.

Where the Risks Lie

Users represent a security risk for several reasons. Corporate boundaries continue to expand as the number of mobile workers increase, which also ties in with the convergence of personal and professional use of corporate endpoints. Laptops and PCs are becoming more personal, loaded with non-business applications that potentially expose an organization to spyware, keyloggers and other threats.

There are also mounting threats that prey on end-user curiosity. Tactics include Web site or email spoofing designed to trick employees into performing actions detrimental to the organization's security or divulging confidential information. What's more, employees are constantly moving between competitive organizations, and competitors' angle to hire key personnel for their skills as much as for the confidential information they can bring with them. Overall, the insider threat—whether malicious or inadvertent—is something that cannot be overlooked.

Safeguarding organizations against insiders with malicious intent requires effectively enforcing data-access policies and auditing user activity with sensitive and confidential data and systems. The stories that have surfaced about company insiders stealing sensitive data worth millions—if not billions of dollars—is a non-stop cycle. As a result, security administrators must proactively take action to protect their organizations against these threats.