{"id":9389,"date":"2019-02-23T08:58:51","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T13:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=9389"},"modified":"2023-07-03T10:56:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T14:56:40","slug":"insider-threats-hiding-in-plain-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/insider-threats-hiding-in-plain-sight\/","title":{"rendered":"Insider threats \u2013 Hiding in Plain Sight"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a few years, I have quietly been watching incidents where insider threats have been the primary cause of severe<\/a> and often expensive problems that have affected over 100 million people. To make sure we\u2019re on the same page,<\/p>\n

\u201cInsider threats can be defined as risks posed by rogue employees who deliberately cause harm, or by those who may be negligent in the workplace.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For a while, I’ve argued that psychology and human resources (HR) have been underutilized as tools to protect valuable information and intellectual property. Some of my previous thinking and work is captured in magazine articles that I wrote in 2016 (Is Cyber Security Alone Ever Enough; no longer online via Frontline Security) and 2017 (Corporate Security Hinges on its People; no longer online via Frontline Secutity)\u00a0and also addressed in a couple of blog posts<\/a> on my website. Lately, these insider threat stories seem to be growing more common and more consequential.<\/p>\n

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Insider Threats – National Safety and Security<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Michael<\/a>If you\u2019ve been following any of the news stories related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller\u2019s ongoing Russia investigation, then you may have heard of Michael Flynn. In summary, Flynn served as President Trump\u2019s National Security Advisor\u00a0for less than one month. He resigned after information became public that he had lied to the\u00a0FBI\u00a0and Vice President\u00a0Mike Pence\u00a0about his communications with\u00a0a Russian Ambassador\u00a0to the U.S.\u00a0\u00a0The salient issue was that Flynn may have been compromised by Russian intelligence agents. In other words, Flynn was apparently under the control of Russian spies. As someone advising the President on issues of national security, it is extremely dangerous for him to be making recommendations that may serve the interests of Russia instead of the US.<\/p>\n

On December 1, 2017, Flynn appeared in federal court to formalize a deal with Special Counsel\u00a0Robert Mueller\u00a0to plead guilty to “willfully and knowingly”\u00a0making “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements”\u00a0to the FBI.\u00a0Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller\u2019s Russia investigation. This means he is providing information about the Trump Campaign and possibly individuals associated with President Trump who may have unpatriotic ties to a foreign country (or countries).<\/p>\n

Why does this matter?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n