This is the last article in a four-part series focused on proactively managing corporate security culture and workforce expectations as you manage insider risk.
In Part 3 of this series, GPSG’s insider threat risk management team provided four actionable steps for explaining the benefits of insider risk management to your workforce, read more here.
Solicit Help from Your Workforce to Manage Insider Threat Risk
After sharing the benefits of insider risk management with your workforce, how can you solicit their assistance to manage insider risk?
The fourth step in GPSG’s workforce investment strategy is to solicit workforce help in manage insider risk, including:
1. Establish both anonymous and confidential reporting channels for suspected insider activity. Therefore, encouraging employees to speak up who would otherwise say nothing. First, set up an anonymous reporting channel. Second, as a leadership team, establish policies for ensuring discretion of information for employees that flag concerns. Then, weigh the benefits of incorporating a confidential reporting mechanism.
2. Prepare your workforce to be your first line of insider threat defense. For example, train them on why they should be worried about insider activity. Further, provide scenarios of what it would look like in your office. Further, ensure that they understand which enterprise assets are most critical to protect. Discuss the implications are to your organization if they are compromised.
3. Equip your managers to recognize signs that employees may be undergoing stressful or life changing events. This does not mean that an employee will conduct insider activity, but could help divert other types of personnel issues. One organization’s problem employee may be another organization’s insider threat. Provide tools and tips for your leadership team to engage in meaningful conversations with potential problem employees. As a result, your management team will be able to more accurately assess whether an employee pose a risk.
4. Offer your workforce an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and consistently advertise its benefits. If your organization has an EAP in place, increase workforce awareness that EAP programs are confidential. Further, remind them that these programs do not require HR involvement. Highlight the value that EAPs bring beyond career coaching such as counseling on financial issues, stress-related illnesses, and more.
Equip Your First Line of Insider Risk Defense: Your Workforce
There is no silver bullet solution for insider threat risk management. However, these actionable recommendations strengthen your insider risk management approach.
In addition, if you are leading an insider threat program or updating an existing one, an Insider Threat Assessment is useful for resource and program roadmap planning.
In conclusion, a determined, intentional insider only has to be successful once to harm your organization. Including your workforce in your risk management approach could be key in helping prevent an incident many times over.
For more insights and information on insider and cybersecurity best practices, reach out to GPSG.
Contact GPSG today for a free insider threat risk management consultation at cyberteam@gpsg.co