EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Despite a resolute ‘defend the castle’ approach to cybersecurity, catastrophic cyber threats can still dismantle an organization. As you well know, not only does the army of invaders exist externally, weak links exist internally as well.

When it comes to cybersecurity, 20% of organizations report experiencing breaches on account of insider threats. Many of these threats go undiscovered for months or years, gradually and insidiously eroding certain elements of the enterprise.

Insider threats can emerge from various types of people. Of course there are well-intended individuals who accidentally introduce a threat, and then there are disgruntled employees, ill-intended individuals with access to corporate assets, and careless business partners, among others.

One successful model of insider threat prevention consists of the zero trust strategy. The zero trust strategy hones in on locking down assets by limiting access privileges. This multi-layered tactic is underpinned by a series of implementation principles, which include network segmentation, continuous data protection, and analyses of every user’s activities. For detailed descriptions of the zero trust principles, click here.

Prior to investing, organizations can run pilot zero trust programs, a particularly good option for federal agencies with complex regulatory requirements.

A recent Forrester study showed that organizations deploying zero trust strategies reduce risk exposure by nearly 40%, and reduce costs by a full 31%. This potentially adds up to millions of dollars in savings. On account of investing in zero trust, organizations can also approach B2B partnerships with greater confidence, and hasten the commencement of new business initiatives.

The zero trust model reinforces security defenses, and offers a comprehensive approach to insider threats. For more info on zero trust solutions, watch this webinar.