Insider Threats Explained: Malicious, Negligent and Compromised for Security+
An insider threat is a security risk originating from someone who already has legitimate access — an employee, contractor, vendor, or partner. They are not breaking in. They are already inside, and the access they are using was granted deliberately. Every other threat actor has to get in first. The insider's advantage is that the hardest step has already been completed, legitimately, by you. That is what makes insiders difficult in a way that is different from the other threat actor types . Perimeter controls, phishing filters and patching do nothing. The insider is authenticating correctly, from an expected location, on a managed device. The Three Types CompTIA distinguishes these, and the distinction drives the response. Malicious insiders act deliberately. Motivations are typically financial — selling data or credentials — revenge after a grievance or termination, ideology, or recruitment by an outside party. This is the smallest category and the most damaging per in...