Insider Threat Study: Illicit Cyber Activity in the Information Technology and Telecommunications Sector

Abstract : The insider threat issue is a problem faced by all industries and sectors today. It is an issue of growing concern as the consequences of insider incidents can include not only financial losses, but the loss of clients and business days. The actions of a single insider can cause damage to an organization ranging from a few lost staff hours to negative publicity and financial damage so extensive that a business may be forced to lay off employees or even close its doors. Furthermore, insider incidents can have repercussions extending beyond the affected organization to include disruption of operations or services critical to a specific sector. In The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, the President s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board emphasizes the importance of continual evaluation to identify vulnerabilities in, and threats to, government and private information networks and systems. In particular, The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace stresses the need to maintain functioning networks and systems that are interconnected between thirteen critical infrastructure sectors comprised of public and private institutions: