Insider Threat Detection

Behavioral analytics, UEBA, monitoring strategies, and insider threat programs.

Overview

Insider threats come from authorized users with malicious intent.

Threat Types

User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)

# Behavioral baseline
def calculate_baseline(user_id):
    behavior = {
        "login_times": get_login_patterns(user_id),
        "access_patterns": get_access_patterns(user_id),
        "data_volume": get_data_usage(user_id),
        "network_activity": get_network_patterns(user_id)
    }
    return behavior

# Anomaly detection
def detect_anomaly(user_id, current_behavior):
    baseline = get_baseline(user_id)
    anomalies = []
    
    if outside_normal_hours(current_behavior.login_time):
        anomalies.append("unusual_login_time")
    
    if excessive_data_download(current_behavior.data_volume):
        anomalies.append("excessive_data_access")
    
    return anomalies

Monitoring Strategies

Risk Indicators

risk_indicators = {
    "technical": [
        "unusual_login_times",
        "excessive_data_access",
        "usb_usage",
        "cloud_upload"
    ],
    "behavioral": [
        "policy_violations",
        "access_denials",
        "multiple_failed_logins"
    ],
    "contextual": [
        "resignation_notice",
        "performance_issues",
        "financial_problems"
    ]
}

Insider Threat Program

1. Establish → Program charter
2. Assess → Risk evaluation
3. Monitor → Detection controls
4. Investigate → Response procedures
5. Respond → Mitigation actions

Best Practices

1. Behavioral baselines — Know normal activity
2. Risk scoring — Prioritize monitoring
3. Cross-functional team — HR, Legal, Security
4. Employee awareness — Clear policies
5. Investigation procedures — Legal compliance

Practice

Implement UEBA monitoring for detecting insider threats.