insider attack
What It Means
An insider attack occurs when someone within your organization uses their legitimate access to systems, data, or facilities to harm the company. This person could be a current employee, contractor, or business partner who decides to steal data, sabotage systems, or damage operations from the inside. Unlike external hackers who must break in, insiders already have the keys to the kingdom.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Insider attacks are particularly dangerous for AI systems because they often involve access to sensitive training data, proprietary algorithms, or model parameters that could be stolen or corrupted. These attacks can compromise AI model integrity, leak competitive advantages, or insert bias into AI decision-making processes. Traditional security tools designed to keep outsiders out are often ineffective against someone who already has authorized access.
Real-World Example
A data scientist working on your company's recommendation algorithm becomes disgruntled before leaving for a competitor. Using their existing access, they copy the training datasets and model weights to a USB drive, then subtly modify the algorithm to perform poorly on certain customer segments before their departure, giving their new employer both your intellectual property and a competitive advantage.
Common Confusion
People often assume insider attacks only involve malicious intent, but many are actually caused by careless or negligent employees who accidentally expose data or systems. The focus shouldn't just be on catching bad actors, but also on preventing well-meaning insiders from making costly mistakes.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, insider attacks pose significant risks to protected health information (PHI) and patient safety, as healt...
Finance: In finance, insider attacks pose severe risks as employees have access to sensitive customer financial data, trading sys...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"Those who are within [an] organisation may have authorised access to vast amounts of sensitive company records that are essential for maintaining competitiveness and market position, and knowledge of information services and procedures that are crucial for daily operations. . . .[and] should an individual choose to act against the organisation, then with their privileged access and their extensive knowledge, they are well positioned to cause serious damage."Source: IEEE_Caught_in_the_Act
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