Mitigating insider threats without breaking the cycle of trust

An “Insider” is a person within the boundaries of a company that has access to company systems and resources. They could be an employee, a contractor, a vendor or even a customer to whom you have given access to your network or systems.

Insider Threats: Malicious or Accidental

Attacks or breaches traced back to an insider could be malicious or accidental. An employee may feel dissatisfied, unappreciated, manipulated, or coerced into sharing sensitive company data, or they could be enticed by financial rewards to assist cybercriminals in gaining unauthorised access to systems. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused financial hardship for many, increasing vulnerability and the likelihood of accepting bribes for intellectual property theft or other corporate secrets.

Human error also accounts for a significant proportion of data breaches within UK SMEs. A confidential email sent to the wrong recipient, or a victim of a social engineering attack leading to a malware infection, can all originate from an insider. The shift to remote and hybrid working has left employees isolated, reducing peer oversight and increasing the risk of insider threats.

Heightened awareness of data protection and cyber security has prompted businesses to strengthen network security controls, improving resilience to external attacks. However, internal threats remain a blind spot for many organisations. Balancing protection against insider threats while maintaining a culture of trust is critical — excessive monitoring can create suspicion and negatively impact employee morale.

Can You Stay Safe While Maintaining Trust?

UK businesses are responsible for mitigating insider threats and ensuring compliance with GDPR and privacy regulations. Relying on trust alone is not enough. Protecting the company safeguards its operations and employees, making it essential to balance data security with workplace trust.

Many organisations require new hires to sign confidentiality agreements or non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Despite these measures, low levels of security awareness remain a top cause of breaches that can damage a company’s reputation.

The key is balance: companies should monitor employees in a way that mitigates internal security risks without micro-managing staff or eroding trust. Best practice includes:

▪️Building a culture of cybersecurity awareness and trust.

▪️Training employees on cyber hygiene and insider threat mitigation.

▪️Monitoring only essential activities, such as access levels to sensitive systems, rather than keystrokes.

▪️Being transparent about when and how monitoring occurs.

▪️Applying strong IT policies and procedures, especially for remote work scenarios.

▪️Immediately deactivating accounts and reclaiming devices when employees leave.

Considerations for Employee Monitoring

Monitoring employee activity has limitations. Under GDPR, companies must follow the principle of data minimisation, collecting only the data necessary for insider threat prevention.

Organisations should also consider labour and human rights laws when deciding the extent of employee monitoring. Monitoring must be:

▪️Justified and fair

▪️Documented in company policies

▪️Communicated and understood by employees, contractors, and vendors

Following these principles allows UK SMEs to maintain compliance while effectively mitigating insider threats without undermining trust or workplace culture.