A new study[pdf] by Red Goat Cyber Security sheds light on insider threats. The survey presented respondents with different scenarios indicating potentially malicious behavior by a colleague, friend, new employee, senior staff member or contractor, and asked them whether or not they would report the person in question.
When presented with the most extreme scenario, in which they noticed someone working at strange hours and bringing unauthorized individuals into the company, nearly all respondents said they would report new employees (96%) and contractors (97%), but hardly anyone dared to report a senior employee (14%). This implies that malicious insiders in senior positions are unlikely to get caught even if other staff members suspect they are up to no good.
Read more: Senior Staff Immune from Insider Threat Finger-Pointing
