Insider Data Breach Survey 2021

Human layer security: Making people your greatest defense

Insider risk poses the greatest threat to any organization. Every IT leader knows the potential impact of a data breach, but many are worryingly underprepared when it comes to their own people.

That’s because insider risk is the most complex cybersecurity issue they have to solve. People create risk every day. They are vulnerable to targeted phishing attacks and being hacked; they make mistakes, such as misdirecting sensitive emails; and they break the rules, often just to make their lives a little easier (and sometimes for personal gain).

Our third Insider Data Breach Survey sums up IT leaders’ prevailing attitudes to insider risk and where their biggest concerns lie. We’ve also gauged the feelings of “insiders” themselves – and found some interesting disconnects between employer and employee when it comes to insider risk.

The findings have raised some thought-provoking discussion around how well organizations are detecting insider breaches, and what impact their handling of breaches is having on employees. We’ve also explored the ongoing effect of remote working and COVID-19 inspired phishing attacks.

But data breaches aren’t just statistics; every data breach has a story behind it. This year, we also asked IT leaders and employees to share their stories, and reached out to industry experts for their views.

As we move into the second half of 2021, IT leaders need to gain a firm grasp on insider risk and put an effective strategy in place to mitigate it. This report should offer you a strong starting point.

“Data breaches aren’t just statistics; every data breach has a story behind it”

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