Internal Threat (Insider Threat)
An internal threat is a security risk that originates from within the organization, such as from employees, contractors, or business partners.
Types: 1. Malicious (Sabotage/Spionage). 2. Negligent (Accidental). 3. Compounded (Compromised credentials). 4. Collusion (External + Internal).
graph LR
Center["Internal Threat (Insider Threat)"]:::main
Rel_cosmos_network["cosmos-network"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_cosmos_network "/terms/cosmos-network"
Rel_ens["ens"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_ens "/terms/ens"
Rel_ethereum["ethereum"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_ethereum "/terms/ethereum"
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classDef child fill:#0f172a,stroke:#10b981,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef related fill:#0f172a,stroke:#8b5cf6,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
linkStyle default stroke:#4b5563,stroke-width:2px;
🧒 Explain Like I'm 5
Imagine you have a big treasure chest with a heavy lock. An external threat is a thief trying to pick the lock. An internal threat is the servant who already has the key and either accidentally leaves the chest open or decides to steal a gold coin for themselves.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
Technically, internal threats are managed through 'Zero Trust Architecture', where even users inside the network are not automatically trusted. Organizations use 'UEBA' (User and Entity Behavior Analytics) to establish a 'Baseline' of normal activity for every employee. If a software developer suddenly starts downloading financial spreadsheets at 2 AM, the system flags it as an anomaly. A critical part of mitigation is 'Separation of Duties' and the 'Principle of Least Privilege' (PoLP), ensuring that no single person has enough power to destroy the entire system or steal all the data without someone else noticing.