0 ratings0% found this document useful (0 votes) 72 views46 pagesInsider Threat Program Ebook
A Guide for Initiating, Developing and Implementing Your Insider Threat Program
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INSIDER THREAT
Wt ee VACopyright © 2016 by ObservelT
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2016
ISBN-10:0-9978884-0-7
ISBN-13:978-0-9978884-0-9INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM
YOUR 90-DAY PLAN
A GUIDE FOR INITIATING, DEVELOPING AND
IMPLEMENTING YOUR INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM
Mr. Thompson is the Founder and President of the insider Threat
Management Group, LLC, which provides strategic insider risk
management advisory services to the private sector. He possesses over
15 years experience investigating, prosecuting, and managing insider
threats, and is widely sought-after for his unique expertise. He is a former
federal prosecutor and senior government official who held executive
positions with several agencies, including the FBI, DoD, and DN
‘Asa seasoned risk management professional, experienced prosecutor,
credentialed special agent, and trained analyst, his cyber security acumen
is second to none. He is a pioneer in the field of insider risk management,
Shawn [Link], Esq. serving asa frequent guest speaker and thought leader on a variety of
security topics. Mr. Thompson serves as a trusted advisor for the highest
levels of government, as well as private sector C-suite and Board of
Directors alike. He is a member of the Maryland Ber.
Mr. Friedlander co-founded ObservelT in 2006 with the singular goal of
mitigating the growing risk of user-based threats for Security Officers,
ClOs and IT managers. Since then, he has built ObservelT into the leading
Insider Threat Management Solution, He has expertise in IT security and
databases.
Mr. Friedlander spends most of his days working with customers, helping
them understand the growing risk of User-based Threats and how to
mitigate them. When not working with customers, he is driving product
direction and the future vision of the company. Mr. Friedlander is a
Gabriel Friedlander frequent speaker on the topic of IT Security and Risk, and has presented
throughout the world in more than 25 countries.
ong © 2016 by bearer
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INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM [Link] 2016INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM GUIDE
YOUR 90-DAY PLAN
Table of Contents
Preface,
Executive Summary.
Introduction...
Scape,
Insider Threat Management Ecosystem.
Initial Operating Capability
Full Operating Capability.
Let’s Get to Work.
The Methodology.
Initiation Phase,
Step 1: Plan for SUCCESS.
Step 2: Identify Stakeholders.
Step 3: Create Business Case....
Step 4: Assemble the Teamnu
Development Phase...
Step 5: Assess Insider Risk...
Step 6: Develop Action Plan...
Step 7: Develop Operating Framework and Policy.
Step 8: Obtain Employee Support...
Implementation Phase.
Step 9: Analyze Data....ne at
Step TO: Develop RASHOTIE Capa BI axa aunseoscamneemrmmiaacnamnm emanate?
Step 11: Implement Oversight and Compliance. 33
CONCLUSION nnn soma - maa
‘Appendix A: Baseline Survey Worksheet...
Appendix B: Business Case Template...
Appendix C: Insider Risk Assessment Framework.
‘Appendix D: incident Response Workflow...
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016PREFACE
PREFACE
“This Guide will make your job easier!”
After observing several instances of suspicious activity within his organization, CISO Rich Malewicz was faced with
not one, but two daunting tasks: determining the cause of the activity, and developing a program to prevent it in
the future. Rich quickly discovered that there is a dearth of documented, practical, and real-world advice from bona
fide insider threat experts on how to build an insider Threat Management Program. With no existing guide or
playbook, Rich was fortunate to be able to rely on his past experience managing similar threats for the
government, a luxury most CISO's do not possess, Malewicz says, "This Guide would have made my job much
easier by allowing me to more efficiently create the governance, policies, and procedures to effectively manage
future insider threats.”
People are the weak link in the security chain. Unfortunately, itis these same people who have legitimate access to
your facilities, systems, people, and data - your crown jewels. While the threat of insider-caused organizational
harm is on the rise, most companies have not established a formal program to manage this risk. While there may
be existing procedures in place to monitor corporate networks for intrusions and the collection of various logs for
network analysis, there are likely few controls designed to monitor and respond effectively to insider behavior;
specifically, unintentional threats. Moreover, there are few corporations that have implemented holistic Insider
Threat Management Programs.
‘An Insider Threat Management Program is often viewed as an expensive and resource-intensive endeavor, as well
a a privacy nightmare. While monitoring licenses, support and operation expenses, and legal and consulting fees,
can be expensive, costs can be reduced by utilizing existing capabilities and resources. Most companies will have
existing departments that either share the objectives of a program or are currently responsible for performing
some of the functions. The key is to leverage and use these existing resources and processes to reduce cost and
level of effort. This Guide will show you how.
Using our three-phased approach and step-by-step process, you can create an effective and best-in-class Insider
Threat Management Program for your organization.
Let’s get
started!
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 1EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Company insiders are responsible for 90% of security incidents. Of these, 29% are due to deliberate and malicious
actions, and 71% result from unintentional actions. Unfortunately, today’s piecemeal and ad hoc approach is simply
not working. You need a holistic Insider Threat Management Program (ITMP) to effectively manage these threats
and reduce the risk to your corporate assets. To that end, you must do four things well to accomplish this objective,
as shown in Figure 1.
How to Effectively Manage Insider Threats
Figure
You Must Know Your People. thisis the foundation of any solid security program. You must aim to
achieve an acceptable level of personnel assurance. This includes incorporating continuous evaluation processes as
a supplement to a robust pre-employment background check. Continued personnel education and training is of
particular importance, since the vast majority of insider threats are unintentional (social engineering victims,
out-of-policy behaviors, and other negligent activities).
You Must Know Your Assets. what are your critical assets? Where are they located? Who has access?
How can they be accessed? If you have trouble answering these questions, you're not alone. A good data
governance and inventory strategy is essential for an effective TMP. Full knowledge of your assets will allow you to
properly align and manage the risk to those assets. A solid strategy begins with discovering where your assets reside
and employing data asset tracking processes. This will allow you to properly label and classify your data and limit
access in a risk-based manner.
You Must Monitor Insiders’ Behavior. knowing how people behave within data, services, and
applications is crucial in order to evaluate the risk and likelihood of an insider threat. Monitoring user behavior,
coupled with full ideo captures of risky behavior, will provide unequivocal proof during the investigation process.
Iwill also significantly reduce end-to-end investigation time.
You Must Mitigate Risky Behaviors. An important objective of any ITMP is to mitigate the risk of
an insider threat, so a proactive approach is a key component. Clear security policies, the ability to deter threats, and
the ability to raise security awareness at the point of violation have been proven to effectively reduce insider risk.
INSIDER THREAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GUIDE [Link] 2016 2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
QUICK WINS
‘The next-generation ITMP consists of ten complementary components, ranging from personnel screening and
evaluation to monitoring and investigation. While a full operating capability’ may take years to develop,
immediate value can be achieved by developing an initia! operating capability, legally supported with
documented policies and procedures, as described in Figure 2.
Governance and Strategy. «
clear strategy outlining goals and objectives is a
necessary guidepost. Clarity of roles and
responsibilities is also essential to ensure
efficient use of resources.
Frewre2
ana nga Consierations
Background Checks. gackground
checks represent the baseline personnel
initio! Operting Copadity assurance component for Initial Operating
Capability (OC). Whereas continuous evaluation
should be the objective, and thus represent a
Full Operating Capability (FOC) component, a
background check has been the standard
proactive solution for many years. A
‘comprehensive check from a reputable provider
‘can uncover indicators of potential workplace
Violence or insider threat precursors that will
allow you to make more knowledgeable hiring
decisions in accordance with the requisite legal
authorities.
Awareness and Training. training is a critical, yet often underutilized component. Since most
insiders do not intend to harm your company, training helps them stay within the bounds of acceptable security
conscious best practices.
Insider Threat
‘Management Program
Data Management. 4 foundational requirement of the information-centric security component is to
know what data you have, where It lives, who uses it, and its sensitivity level. Data discovery is fostered through
the application of the risk assessment model.
User Activity Monitoring. even trustworthy employees need to be monitored to ensure they do
not unintentionally engage in harmful conduct. As such, User Activity Monitoring (UAM) is more than simply a
tool to monitor "bad actors’—it is a necessary tool that complements the other components of a program and
serves as a force multiplier by 1) alerting employees of potentially harmful actions and policy violations 2)
alerting you to intentionally harmful actions 3) maintaining immutable logs and video recordings to support
subsequent forensic investigations and prosecutions.
Investigation and Threat Mitigation. once threatening behavior is detected (whether
intentional or not) it must be properly addressed.
1 See Full Operating Capabitty discussion. page 1s
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 3EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
RETURN ON
INVESTMENT
Anext-generation ITMP provides real and immediate ROI. Unlike traditional security models that focus on external
threats and stove-piped processes, this program will add value by providing you a framework and methodology to
properly align resources with security objectives. The value proposition of a holistic ITMP is depicted in Figure 3.
~ Increased client confidence Fane
~» Reduced risk of compromise
~ Increased employee productivity Insider Threat Management Program - ROI
~ Increased investor confidence 3
~» Protection of re
© Create asset protection culture
como" Cl, Gs F = RISK/2
© Lower remediation costs
Observe Educate Deter
~ Reduced impact of compromise
~ Halt loss of intellectual property
~ Bolster existing security measures
~ Reduced time to resolve incidents
Fewer Security and Compliance Incidents
Security training, real-time security awareness, and deterrence at the time of violation significantly reduces the
number of security incidents resulting from unintentional or malicious behavior by more than 50%. Fewer security
incidents streamlines incident and response, which results in less time chasing false alarms, and more time
focusing on real threats.
Faster Forensics and Troubleshooting
Akey component of an Insider Threat Management Program is a UAM solution that provides full visibility and video
playback of actual screenshots showing user activity. This results in faster forensic investigations and reduces
end-to-end investigation time from hours to minutes. No sifting through logs. No combing through data.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 4INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
‘The purpose of this Guide is to provide a resource for initiating, developing, and implementing an Insider Threat
Management Program. This guide will help you effectively abtain leadership support and assemble your team,
develop a risk-based action plan, create a policy and governance structure, implement monitoring requirements,
and build an oversight and compliance framework to ensure continued employee and leadership support.
Insider Threat Management Programs are quickly becoming standard practice throughout private and public
industries. in today's data breach and high-impact business environment, security practitioners must be able to
understand and implement programs in the most efficient manner possible. This is significant, as this task also
requires balancing the protection of corporate assets with the privacy of employees, which raises myriad legal
considerations.
Developing an Insider Threat Management Program can be a difficult task even when having a process or structure
in place to follow and even more so without an established process, This critical action becomes even more
challenging if the security professional has not had formal experience managing insider threats, Additionally, not
having the knowledge to know which questions to ask can not only lead to legal trouble, but can leave your
organization vulnerable to insider threats. This Guide will prepare you for this challenge.
This Guide contains the following key components:
‘¢ The context for, and definition of, an Insider Threat Management Program
‘¢ The primary objectives of an ITMP
The functional IOC and FOC components of a holistic ITMP.
The fundamentals of an insider Threat Management Program
* The basics of developing a program utilizing risk-based methodologies
* Sample charts and workflows
This Guide was developed by leading experts in the field of Insider Threat and Risk Management. The authors
utilized their experience and industry resources as well as input from practitioners who have demonstrated
considerable skill in building and managing Insider Threat Management Programs.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 5SCOPE
Insider Threats
Are Real
Most experts agree that threats posed by insiders
are a pervasive and growing problem. Employees
continue to be the biggest threat to corporatians?,
and cause twice as much damage as external
threats.*In fact, ninety-percent of all security events,
are caused by insiders.‘ The great majority of these,
however, are caused by unintentional insider
threats. Unintentional threats are difficult to detect
because traditional security devices and solutions
are primarily designed for detecting malicious
activities.
The Unintentional
Insider Threat
‘* Improper use of systems
* Policy violations
+ Social engineering victims
‘¢ Negligent use of email and web browsing
‘Experian 20% Ont Breach dustry Forecast
RT sir Thveat center
Insiders Are Responsible for
90% of Security Incidents *
Malicious
Fraud/Oata thett
Inappropriate access
Disgruntled employee
Unintentional
Misuse of systems
Honest mistakes
Cloud apps
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
[Link] 2016
6INSIDER THREAT
MANAGEMENT
Insider Threat Management! involves the holistic focus an managing risks that insiders pose to your corporate
assets in a synergistic manner. This requires an ITMP that Is free from the traditional walls between “security”
(personnel-focused) and “InfoSec” (network-focused). It requires a unity of purpose, which is designed to
objectively manage insider risk. The required holistic synergy is depicted in the following chart.
How to Effectively Manage Insider Threats
LS
Ses
Faure
You Must Know Your People. this is the foundation of any solid security program. You must aim to
achieve an acceptable level of personnel assurance, This includes incorporating continuous evaluation processes
asa supplement to a robust pre-employment background check. Continued personnel education and training is of
particular importance since the vast majority of insider threats are unintentional (social engineering victim,
negligence, carelessness, etc). So what does it mean to “know your people?" In the context of insider risk
management, it means having the knowledge necessary to make meaningful risk management decisions about
your employees. Too often, these sources are limited to either pre-screening background checks or network
behavior, or both. The problem is that pre-screening background checks are often wholly inadequate due to the
scope of coverage - or more specifically - the lack of coverage. For example, many background providers simply
check “national criminal databases’ which are not regularly updated nor verified for accuracy. These “national”
databases may be six months ar more behind in reflecting a conviction.
"Thiers ‘nse threat monagerent” ond “ede isk management” reused ntrchoncecby throughout the Gul. ride threot menookrent” the
allqua! arm general used ta describe managing Hs recta to empyees. sks however, elude components of tot tects ond wunerabltes af spec
axpocate assets, Thus, is xguatly more accurate to scibe tha managing a nsGe BATS as “SI rSk Management” Bt Tr Cay Purposes is GUIS Wi
tse them interchangeaby
INSIDER THREAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GUIDE [Link] 2016 7SCOPE
Moreover, focusing only on network behavior ignores a large portion of an individual's work-life picture.
Employees are much more than the sum of their network activity. As such, focusing solely on this aspect misses a
large portion of their otherwise relevant and valuable behaviors on other mediums. For example, off-network
behavior (interactions with co-workers, supervisors, and customers at work) as well as external behavior (publicly
available information, e.g. social media, public records, etc.) is just as valuable, if not more so in certain cases.
‘There may be certain organizational sensitivities that preclude you from acquiring all of the information that
pertains to your employees. This is understandable and requires a delicate balance between employees’
expectations of ‘privacy’ and productivity versus security. The important takeaway to consider and convey to
senior leadership is that if you do not have full visibility into all areas of personnel assurance, then you wil either
need to account for this gap through some other means, or accept this risk and attempt to mitigate as it arises,
You Must Know Your Assets. what are your critical assets? Where are they located? Who has
access? How can they be accessed? If you have trouble answering these questions, you're not alone. A good data
governance and inventory strategy is, however, essential for an effective Insider Threat Management Program. Full
knowledge of your assets will allow you to properly align and manage the risk to those assets. A solid strategy
begins with discovering where your assets reside and employing data asset tracking procedures. This will allow you
to properly label and classify your data and limit access in a risk-based manner.
‘Attempting to protect organizational data without knowing the answers to the questions above is analogous to
being asked to bake a cake without a recipe. You might have all the ingredients but you have no idea about how
much of each to add or for how long to bake it. Similarly, you may know generally what data is valuable and what
you need to protect, but without full knowledge, you will have no idea how to effectively apply controls and
countermeasures in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Knowing your data requires a proper risk assessment. There is simply no other way to obtain this information. It
will require you to roll up your sleeves and ask specific questions of data owners to obtain the answers necessary
to understand the complete picture. Once completed, it will be worth the effort as you will now be operating from
a position of knowledge.
You Must Monitor Insiders' Behavior. Monitoring your entire network and SIEM is good, but
it's not enough. User Activity Monitoring (UAM) that captures all key strokes and includes DLP and other policy
enforcement features is crucial to get full visibility into the Insider Threat. Monitoring user behavior, coupled with
{ull video captures of risky behavior, with a solution such as ObservelT, will provide unequivocal proof during the
investigation process as well as significantly reduce end-to-end investigation time,
Monitoring is a key component because visibility is necessary to prevent and detect insider threats and to make
risk-based decisions to mitigate those threats, Without a robust monitoring capability, you have no visibility.
‘without visibility, your organization is simply more vulnerable to insider threats, whether malicious or
unintentional.
Monitoring includes your entire network—for example, logs and related events via a SIEM—but also includes
monitoring user activity via a UAM solution that captures all key strokes and may include DLP and other policy
enforcement features. Monitoring also includes the ability to observe behavior indicative of insider threats via
off:network behavior as well as via external information.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 &SCOPE
You Must Mitigate Risky Behaviors. investigation must be integrated with all other
objectives in a synergistic manner. Too often, investigation is bifurcated and viewed as a mutually exclusive
component of a security or info-security program, which leads to silos and inefficiencies. To be effective, an
investigation needs context, and this can only be achieved through the proper alignment with all objectives
‘within an overall ITP strategy.
‘An important objective of any ITMP is to mitigate the risk of an insider threat, so a proactive approach is a key
component. Clear security polices and the ability to deter as well as raise security awareness at the point of
violation has been proven to be the most effective way to reduce insider risk.
Quite simply, the investigative role should reside with the ITMP team, not within a separate CSO or CISO
function. To be effective, an investigative team must possess cross-functional capabilities to 1) obtain
necessary information 2) analyze cross-damain information and 3) leverage necessary resources to further the
investigative effort
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 9INSIDER THREAT
MANAGEMENT
ECOSYSTEM
INSIDER THREAT MANAGEMENT ECOSYSTEM
Accomplishing the stated objectives requires the alignment of various security functions and components into a
Unified ecosystem. holistic ITMP will help foster this ecosystem and help your organization guard against
insider threats. A formal program will assist with integrating traditional security and information security
objectives and aligning those objectives with business priorities. A holistic ITMP includes ten primary components
that range from background checks and continuous evaluation techniques and workplace behavior policies, to
network auditing, user behavior monitoring, and incident investigation and response.
A holistic ITMP combines personnel assurance and
information-centric security principles. The key
objective is to monitor, audit, and understand the
insider's interaction with the data. Different
insiders will have access to different types of
formation resulting in differing risk profiles. Thus,
the focus, which will evolve over time, needs to be
dynamic and attuned to how these different
groups interact with (access, use, and store) digital
assets. Accomplishing this goal requires a
paradigm shift and a new approach - The Insider
Threat Management Ecosystem.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
So what constitutes an Insider Threat Program?
‘This answer fs best understood in the context of intial Operating
Capability (IOC) and Full Operating Capability (FOC), IOC fs the
‘minimum baseline and includes: Gavernance, Background
‘Checks, Training, User Activity Monktoring (VAM), Data
Management and investigation, This should be easly obtainable
‘by most organizations with a reasonable amaunt of resources.
FOC Will require a greater amount af resources t implement the
‘remaining acasyetem component. Accordingly, organizations
‘an achieve this end-state by systematically applying the
‘methodologies described herein.
[Link] 2016 10INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY
INITIAL
OPERATING
CAPABILITY
‘The next-generation ITMP consists of ten complementary components, ranging from personnel screening and
evaluation to monitoring and investigation. hile a full operating capability may take years to develop, immediate
value can be achieved by developing an initial operating capability, legally supported with documented policies and
procedures, as described in Figure 6.
Faure : User Activity Monitoring
Even trustworthy employees need to be monitored
ae (camaeams ae to ensure they do not unintentionally engage in
Vegeta! harmful conduct. As such, UAM tools like ObservelT
Insider Threat are more than simply tools to monitor "bed
Maniigement Program actors"—they are necessary tools that complement
‘nt Operating Copabiy the other components of a program and serve as a
force multiplier by 1) alerting employees of
potentially harmful actions and policy violations 2)
Pee Polis aed recedes . alerting you to intentionally harmful actions 3)
aad maintaining immutable logs and video recordings to
support subsequent forensic investigations and
prosecutions. UAM is also the only solution that
provides you with the most important objective —
Visibility regarding employee network actions and
how they interact with your data
Legal Considerations
en a uae a mace ace} Tete eter
le the full scope of those issues is outside of the purview Perea ee ee
example, raises particularly delicate issues. The most prominent of those include:
* Consent. Do you have consent to monitor your employees? Do you need consent?
‘* Scope. Whom will you monitor? Everyone? Only a subset of employees?
‘© Agreements, Do you have the necessary employment agreements in place?
* Policies. Do you have documented support for the monitoring program?
* Compliance. Do you have a “watch the watchers” program in place?
* This reinforces the need to incorporate other organizational leaders (legal counsel,
compliance, etc.) as you develop and launch your ITM
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 11INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY
Background Checks
Background checks represent the baseline personnel assurance component for IOC. Whereas continuous
evaluation should be the objective, and thus represents an FOC component, a background check has been the
standard proactive solution for many years. A comprehensive check from a reputable provider can uncover
indicators of potential workplace violence or indicators of insider threat precursors that will allow you to make
‘more knowledgeable hiring decisions, in accordance with the requisite legal authorities.
Unfortunately, pre-screening background checks are often wholly inadequate due to the scope of coverage or,
more specifically, the lack of coverage. For example, many background providers simply check “national criminal
databases," which are not regularly updated, nor verified for accuracy. These “nationat” databases may be six
months or more behind in reflecting a conviction.
In searching for a background check provider, be sure to obtain a list of their sources of information: specifically,
the source of the “criminal” information, As stated, many will simply search national databases which is often
‘outdated or inaccurate. Seek providers who search criminal data at the source, e.g. at the local county criminal
courts or federal trial courts. Obtaining this level of detail requires more effort on the part of the provider and can
thus be more expensive, but this effort is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act for all background check
providers,
Data Management -
Discovery and Classification
‘A foundational requirement of the information-centric security component is to know what data you have, where it
lives, who uses it, and its sensitivity level. Data discovery is fostered through the application of the risk assessment
‘model, as discussed in Step 5.
The data discovery and classification process should be concurrent with the enterprise info-centric risk planning.
Tools available today can crawl throughout an enterprise and identify all data, both structured and unstructured,
and assist with organizing it into a comprehensive data asset management system,
Awareness and Training
Your people are the first line of defense against insider
threats. While there will be basic security awareness Trai
and training information that is applicable to all
insiders, you should strive to tailor it to the tasks of
jing Resources
‘There are an increasing number of insider threat training
their specific roles and accesses. The goal should be to Instructors that can provide these services. Carnegie
take your employees beyond mere awareness of Mellon also has a wealth of educational material and
security issues and actually educate them. They should training programs that can be utilized. The best training is,
be instructed in the "why and how" of assessing the however, taught by true insider threat practitioners who
risk and security implications of various situations to have real world expertise.
apply security best practices as they perform their job
duties on a daily basis.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 12INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY
An effective security training and awareness program will cover the following areas:
* Counterintelligence and security fundamentals
* Procedures for conducting insider threat response actions
‘* Applicable laws and regulations regarding the gathering, integration, retention, safeguarding, and use of records
and data, including the consequences of misuse of such information
Applicable legal, civil liberties, and privacy policies
# The importance of reporting suspected activity to the insider threat team
‘© Methodologies of adversaries for recruiting trusted insiders and collecting sensitive information
¢ Indicators of insider threat behavior and procedures to report such behavior
# Regulatory and security reporting requirements
* Indicators of insider threat behavior and procedures to report such behavior
# Regulatory and security reporting requirements
Governance and Strategy
The purpose of the insider threat strategy is to combine the personnel assurance and information security
disciplines into @ unified and holistic information and people-centric security framework which is always evolving,
Updating, tested, and improving or evergreen. Unification will promote more robust tactics, techniques and
procedures to reduce the impact and consequences when a compromise occurs. It will also provide more granular
optics into the risk posture of the organization. The policy and procedures are the official enterprise statements of
authority and guidance and to keep the enterprise in compliance with legal, privacy, and organizational objectives.
Investigation and Threat Mitigation
Once a threat has been identified, it must be investigated and mitigated. Mitigation can be as simple as the CISO,
HR, and GC interviewing an employee who has displayed suspicious behavior to determine if further action is
required. It may also be as complex as an automated and integrated process for monitoring and alerting an
analyst of suspicious behavior. UAM tools are particularly valuable as an investigative tool. In addition to alerting
to suspicious behavior, they can provide on-demand playback of the user's session, which makes investigations
easier and more efficient.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 13FULLOPERATING ~~
CAPABILITY
FOC” includes all of the IOC components and adds those related to: Personnel Assurance, Access Control, Big Data
Analysis, Dynamic Risk Assessment, and Oversight, FOC components will require more time and resources to
implement, but this Guide will show you how to accomplish this in the most efficient manner possible. The hallmark
of FOC is a more robust information-centric and personnel-assurance model that builds upan the IOC components.
Some organizations may have some components in place and may choose to prioritize under an IOC model.
Regardless, the focus is on obtaining the objective of robust insider risk management, not the dogmatic and
ordered application of any particular component.
Figure
Cee
ee
Eee
Oversight and Creu Ea)
rn cenit
Care
Legal Considerations Awareness and
ai
Insider Threat Program
Management Ecosystem
tion and
steerer
eet
Policies and Procedures aaah
Cray
Deere a
Pes
oe
eee
tthe ten cmeenents, nase hase! resent on ntl operating capa
‘he ebilty and capabity to prevent deter cetert, and mitigate) ae wf
fra holst nicer Irveot Management Hragram, The ebiecthes Leg.
if imertence not dogmatic form and function,
INSIDER THREAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GUIDE Insider-Threat-Programcom @2015 14FULL OPERATING CAPABILITY
Personnel Assurance - Continuous Evaluation
Pre-employment screening and continuous evaluation Legal Considerations
are the foundation of the personnel assurance
component of the insider threat ecosystem. A proper sen enpa tree par
personnel assurance capability will not only alert to erent:
past relevant activity, but should also provide SoM eh Shee
information capable of informing organizations of Fella lata
potential future problems that may impact critical
assets, Current processes are largely snapshots and
apply binary methodologies" to determine suitability
‘Asa consequence, the ability to continuously evaluate employees is of greater importance. While the screening
processes (background checks) are largely completed by third parties, the continuous evaluation portion can be
implemented by the organization itself through a proper alignment and collaboration of internal entities. The focus
must be on developing the ability to continuously evaluate both internal and external sources for possible threat
and vulnerability information in a risk-based manner?
Risk-Based Access Control
Insiders should have access to only those information assets that 1) have a need-to-know based on the role and
duty and 2) fall within the parameters of their risk profile. This process will enable the innovation for the future
fusion of role and duty monitoring of people in virtual and physical environments by integrating this analysis with
data use into real time for the insider threat mission.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) technology is the foundation of any enterprise security solution. The IAM
industry is evolving into new products and services focused on monitoring and controlling the access for the
“privileged users.” The combination of user and role, identity, data object level-based access control provides a
previously unequaled granular access control capability and greatly reduces the potential impact of an insider data
breach. The enterprise can achieve a higher trust level when only authenticated and authorized users are on the
network and systems with logical access controls. This role based access contral (RBAC) approach can be
considered for use as an enterprise solution for both on premise system data or with a managed cloud based
service with data stored in the cloud,
Big Data Analysis
Traditional analytic methods fail to address the sheet volume of data generated by todays information systems.
Even though 80% of the threat can be mitigated by creating simple rules and monitoring, 20% of the insider threat
requires big data analytics. Big data analytics lead to more insights and better understanding of insider behavior by
revealing previously unknown patterns and insights about their behavior. In basic terms, big data analytics
produces insights from data. Big data analytics are characterized by their ability to scale beyond traditional analytic
constraints and to make sense of disparate data sources - structured and unstructured,
Techniques used primarily in the commercial world are beginning to be applied to security. For example, the use of
MapReduce and Hadoop are equally applicable in determining the anomalous behavior of an Amazon customer or
an insider threat. One approach employed by big data analytics is to determine a baseline of user activity and
behavior. This baseline is then used to determine deviations from normal activity, resulting in alerts and
investigative events. Big data analytics should be employed to make sense of all available information on an insider.
rent processes and standas ocus ardeW an wat easly [Link] and therefore mare easly “evaluated jeg. mina con
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INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 15FULL OPERATING CAPABILITY
The scope and type of acceptable data sources will largely depend on your organization's culture, risk tolerance, and
resources, but it should include both internal and external data sources.
There are a growing number of vendors who provide threat intelligence, analysis, correlation and detection as a
service from the cloud of as an on premise solution with SME staffing, Regardless of which solution you choose,
good analysis requires trained experts that are schooled in advanced analytic techniques.
Dynamic Insider Risk Assessment
‘A Dynamic Insider Risk Assessment is a process or procedure that continuously and dynamically adjusts insider risk
scores. While risk registry solutions have been prevalent for many years, a dynamic insider risk registry is a new and
revolutionary concept. Currently, an organization can achieve part of this objective through the implementation of a
UAM solution that can assist analysts by triaging alerts based on general risk rankings. This can then be
supplemented by regular insider risk assessments,
The objective is to obtain the most current and accurate risk information on your insiders. This will allow you to make
more informed business decisions, while also supporting a risk-based access control model. This moves the
‘emphasis on proactive management solutions instead of simply responding to events and incidents as they arise.
Oversight and Compliance Gagareareanaiods
‘A fundamental concept of the insider threat ecosystem
model isto incorporate an iterative learning capability. ae
This can only be accomplished through proper Ned aad)
‘oversight and compliance that measures performance i nn
using appropriate metrics. This is more than simply care eee
conducting an impact analysis after a breach or related
incident. The goal is to continuously learn not only
from mistakes, but to also improve upon the successes of the program itself. Constant evaluation is key to “staying
‘on course," and will provide continued legitimacy and efficiency to the program.
Akey aspect of an insider threat management oversight component is the ‘watch the watchers” program. The ITMP
will collect, retain, and use extremely sensitive employee information. Policies and procedures must be documented
and implemented to ensure that information is property safeguarded. Nothing will impact the continued viability
and resources of your program more than abuse of this power and authority - intentional or unintentional.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 16LET'S GETTOWORK!
LET’S GET TO
WORK!
This Guide is modeled for the mid-size business, but remains agile and adaptable for companies of any size and
maturity level. f you are like most security managers, you have a small team of IT Security professionals and a group
of IT infrastructure administrators in varying roles and functions. You may have an in-house legal adviser and a likely
overtaxed HR department. Your company just experienced an insider threat incident, and you're now tasked with
making sure this doesr't happen again ... where do you start? What is an Insider Threat Program? What are the
legal and policy parameters? What are the security requirements? How do you create it? Where can you find these
answers?
This Guide focuses on providing pragmatic information and systematic processes to assist you in your efforts.
Creating a program does not have to be resource intensive nor difficult. What follows is practical, real-world advice
from noted and experienced insider risk management experts, using sample checklists, flowcharts, and worksheets
as a means to providing a complete and granular purpose-driven approach. Let this Guide. .. be your guide.
Goals and Objectives
An effective Insider Threat Program requires clear goals and objectives that serve as guideposts to ensure the most
efficient use of both capital and human resources. To that end, it’s important to clearly articulate the reasons for
implementing an Insider Threat Management Program. Are you simply trying to fulfil a compliance or legal
requirement? Or are you responding to an insider threat incident? Are you trying to be proactive or simply in a
position to efficiently react? Are you focused solely on security? Or productivity, as well? Some initial and useful
considerations to frame your strategy and to determine your level of effort include
Culture
What is the culture of your organization? The relevant focus here is specifically on the security culture. This is an
important threshold question to ask because the answer will inform your overall insider threat management
strategy going forward. Some questions will help frame this answer.
What are the current security expectations of your workforce?
© Do you have a robust security awareness program?
‘Do you have security policies in place?
* Do your employees understand the importance of security to the organization?
How would an Insider Threat Management Program be viewed by your employees?
* Part of their job?
© An “invasion of privacy?"
* Anecessary means to protect the company?
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 7LET'S GETTOWORK!
Have you recently experienced a data breach or other type of security incident?
© What was the effect on employee morale?
¢ Can this be a catalyst to support the program?
Current Security Program
This will be explored in more detail during the Methodology discussion, but it's an important step here to help you
understand and set realistic goals and appropriately manage expectations.
What are your current security practices?
© Do you conduct background investigations or currently monitor network activity?
# How are these viewed by your workforce?
Are there existing components upon which you can build an Insider Threat Management Program?
Senior Leadership Support
Senior leadership support is essential to the success of any security program. Establishing the level of effort needed
to obtain their “buy-in” will inform your overall objectives.
How is information security viewed by senior executives?
# Necessary “evil?”
* Value added?
‘© What are the funding plans for the information security and security programs for the next fiscal year?
Risk Appetite
Determining your organization's overall risk appetite or risk tolerance is essential. The corporate view of risk will
dictate the parameters of your Insider Threat Management Program. This will require a closer examination and a risk
assessment (See Step 5), but at the outset, it’s important to understand how risk aligns with your overall strategy by
keeping the following questions in mind:
‘¢ Will the risk be shared with a service provider or through the purchase of insurance?
‘© Will the risk be avoided by altering operations or access?
‘© Will the risk be accepted and treated as a cost of doing business?
‘¢ Will the risk be reduced by employing risk management practices?
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 18‘THE METHODOLOGY
THE METHODOLOGY
This methodology is divided into three phases - Initiation, Development, and Implementation. Each phase is
agnostic and designed to be applied to the creation of any of the ecosystem components - individually or
collectively. Each step is organized around five key concepts:
Goal: The desired objective of the step.
Participants: Who should be responsible for completing the objective?
Timeframe: The time that should be allotted for the step.
Justification: Explains why the step is necessary.
How to accomplish: Describes the essential actions to complete the step.
Initially, all steps will need to be completed regardless of which ecosystem components you are developing.
Subsequent iterations, however, will only require you to complete steps 5-7 of the Development Phase. This will
create efficiency and ease of application as you build out your holistic program. For example, if you decide to focus
‘on developing an |OC, you will apply steps 1-11. Then, for each subsequent component or groups of components,
‘you will only need to work through steps 5-7, since the groundwork has been created and the development of the
particular components all that is required.
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Insider Threat Management
Program Methodology
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INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 19INITIATION PHASE
INITIATION PHASE
‘strong program foundation is necessary for the continued viability of any Insider Threat Management
Program. This phase will guide you through obtaining senior leadership support, resource authorization,
and the authority to hire the necessary personnel. Advocacy and collaboration are essential and will
require synergy between senior security managers and the C-suite. Steps 1 through 4 will help you
establish those communication channels and to prepare for success. This phase should take
approximately 4 weeks to complete
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INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 82016 20STEP 1: PLAN
FOR SUCCESS
This is more than simply
baselining your existing
‘capabilities. This \s your chance
to lay the groundwork for the
Program itself. Your primary
role is to convince decision
makers that the Program will
have value, Through your
interactions with key leaders,
‘you will gain insights into the
‘gaps, needs, and opinions of the
‘overall security of the
‘organization.
Practice tip: interviews ore the
preferred method to ensure
responsiveness ond completeness.
‘Surveys wil likely be ignored and
completed hophazordly.
You should have o clear
understanding of how your current
‘capatilties compare to the best
practices based on the ten program
‘components. This is invaluable
information to use in your
discussions with stakeholders and
formulating your business cose.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
INITIATION PHASE
Goal: Create a baseline of your current security program.
Participants: ClO, CISO, and security managers.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately one week to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because integrating and building
upon existing resources saves time and minimizes costs.
How: To complete this step, you must determine which insider threat
ecosystem components are already in place, as well as their maturity level.
A review of current resources allocated is also necessary to obtain a
complete baseline. This is not a risk assessment, but an initial review of
existing capabilities and resources in order to baseline the current
program, See Baselining Template - Appendix A
Feweo
Eon
Legal Considerations
Insider Threat Program
Management Ecosystem
Policies and Procedures
[Link] @2016 21STEP 2: IDENTIFY
STAKEHOLDERS
This is another important
opportunity to lay the
‘groundwork for the Program.
‘Arrange personal meetings
instead of phone calls or emails
to seek initial input and thoughts
regarding the Program.
Stakeholders wil be able to assist
wit identifying potential hurdles
and objectives as well as the
‘main “pain points" that you will
need to adidress in your business
Practice tip: While the majority
ofthe key stokeholders will be
corporate executives, poy close
dttention and seek out the
informal leaders as well. These
‘non-executive decision-makers are
often the lifeblood of the company
‘and their support wil be essentiol,
You should have o clear
understonding of who will have
the most impact on your program.
This will help you foster the
necessary relationships across
your organization.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
INITIATION PHASE
Goal: The goal of this step Is to bulld the corporate team responsible for
overall business strategy and operations.
Participants: C1SO and Clo.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because the stakeholders have
the requisite business responsibilities that you will need to leverage in
order to advance your program objectives. Stakeholders are the
lifeblood and their involvement is essential to the creation
How: To complete this step you must identify the key personnel from
key business groups to include, but not limited to: Legal, HR. IT,
Communications, Security, and operational business components. You
may find creating a committee or council of key personnel is most
effective as depicted below in a notional example.
Application
Gwners,
Information
Technology
Legal
Data
owners
[Link] 2016 22STEP 3: CREATE THE
BUSINESS CASE
‘The business case provides
the justification for a project.
Resource requests must be in
support of a well-defined
need and must capture the
quantitative and qualitative
value prospects.
‘The objectives are 1) capture
knowledge about how the
business will benefit from the
project 2) verify that the
project meets the needs of
the business 3) provide a
consistent message
Preliminary Questions:
Why is the project needed?
How will t adress the needs?
How does it align with
cosporate mission?
Outcome of inaction?
Recommended solution?
Resources required?
Practice tip: Initially, focus on
mitigating “unintentional”
insider threats. They represent
the greatest risk and one that is
more easily understood by
executives. An educated
employee is a safer employee.
This will reduce costs by
decreasing security events,
thereby promoting efficient
threat detection,
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
INITIATION PHASE
Goal: The goal of this step Is to justify the expenditure of resources,
Participants: The participants in this step include the CISO and senior
security managers.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because as a traditional “cost
center” the program will need both initial and continued operating
resources, A thorough business case will also assist with developing the
ROI metrics and continued justification for future resources,
How: See Business Case Template ~ Appendix 8.
eee
Cert)
Ceca
Preece eis
Cet)
Tailor messaging
ees
us on solutions
PREPARATION is key. You must convey value to stakeholders, Your job is
to manage and develop positive perceptions of the Program itself. You
‘must reach out across business units and show them haw you will
support their mission.
PRIORITIZATION is accomplished by aligning your goals with business
objectives. Keep the focus on value to the business. Must be viewed as
an enabler, not a gate-keeper.
PERCEPTION is crucial and the ability to understand and tailor the.
‘messaging cannot be overstated. Business managers will be more
interested in how you will support their mission. Business executives are
more interested in external effects to the bottomline.
PROMOTION requires you to become a “security evangelist.” Explain
how security is relevant to their jobs. You must be seen as an effective
communicator who understands how to collaborate. The case must also
be compelling, Focus on a value-added end-state.
[Link] 2016 23STEP 4:
ASSEMBLE THE TEAM
"Crawl, Walk, Run”
Start with what you have
available. Build upon Step 1
Utilize the personnel and
departments that have been
involved with some of the
functions (e.g, security,
information security, HR).
For example, if you already
have a fully functioning SOC,
leverage those analysts to
begin your employee
monitoring program
Practice tip: The Tear might
be a “committee” of existing
personnel to stort, but thats
(OK. The long-term goal should
bbe, however, to develop a
wholly independent Teara in
the future to ensure proper
separation of duties and
objectivity. You should have
all necessary work roles
assigned or have engaged HR
{0 fll the necessary positions.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
INITIATION PHASE
Goal: The goal of this step is to create the work roles and identify the
personnel needed to implement the Program.
Participants: The participants in this step include CISO and senior
security managers.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because clarity of roles and
functions creates ownership of responsibilities that lead to 2 more
efficient program.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
1) Determine work roles - Figure 11 represents a notional insider threat
management team. The composition and requirements will vary for
each organization, however, the roles themselves are agnostic and
represent a best practice. The Operations Lead is responsible for
investigations and incident response. The Analysis Lead is responsible
for monitoring alerts, drafting reports, and lead generation, The
Architect Lead is responsible for tool operations, optimization, and data
ingest. The Oversight and Compliance Lead is responsible for
measuring performance and ensuring insider threat policies and,
procedures are followed.
2) Align current human capital with roles - Review current personnel
capabilities and determine which roles are already met. Some
organizations might simply appoint one person to function across all
roles to start or split duties among several individuals. The focus
should be on the roles and objectives of each role instead of requiring
a fulltime employee for each. This will reduce initial operating costs
and start-up requirements.
3) Seek to hire for remaining vacant roles - Address human capital
shortfalls by seeking to hire appropriate personnel
eG
Preris
poke oes
Ps
en
nee} eT) Lead
Oe
[Link] 2016 24DEVELOPMENT PHASE
DEVELOPMENT
PHASE
Arobust Insider Threat Management Program requires an understanding of the true risk posture of the
organization. This phase will guide you through conducting an insider risk assessment, developing action plans and
governance, and creating supporting policies and procedures. Steps 5 through 8 will help you obtain a holistic
Understanding of the risk necessary to tailor a program for your organization. This phase should take approximately
B weeks to complete,
cord
Develo}
Action Plan
Bead
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Zo meucl
Governance
con)
Obtain
aN
Est) Colgs
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 25STEP 5:
ASSESS INSIDER RISK
Risk management is the
process of selecting and
implementing
countermeasures to achieve
an acceptable level of risk at
an acceptable cost.
Risk: The likelihood that a
threat will compromise an
asset. The level of risk is a
combination of 1) the impact a
compromise would have on an
asset and 2) the likelinood that
a specific vulnerability will be
exploited by a particular
threat
Vulnerability: Any weakness
that can be exploited by an
adversary to compromise an
asset.
Threat: Any motive,
opportunity, or circumstance
that has the potential to lead
to the compromise of an asset.
Practice tip: in conducting
insider risk ossessments, the
effective application of this
process requires the skills,
knowledge, and experience of 0
variety of personnel, including
stakeholders and subject-matter
experts. This team approach
ensures the recommendations
are credible and based on
objectively collected data.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
DEVELOPMENT PHASE
Goal: The goal ofthis step is to develop an implementation roadmap
utilizing the results of Step 5.
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team, Vendors,
and Consultants.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 2 weeks to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because a prioritized plan ensures
the greatest amount of risk will be managed at the lowest possible cost.
How: To complete this step, you must do the following: 1) identify and
prioritize critical assets 2) identify and prioritize threats 3) identify and
prioritize vulnerabilities and 4) assess risk utilizing a repeatable
methodology. See Appendix C.
Figure '2
[Link] 82016 26STEP 6:
DEVELOP ACTION PLAN
An action plan is your
roadmap for implementing
controls, solutions, and
countermeasures.
An effective action plan
should have one or more of
the following components:
* Clear risk statement (what
are you protecting?)
‘* Mitigation requirements (how
will you manage this risk?)
+ Implementation
requirements (what
resources are needed?)
* Solutions or tools (that will
meet these requirements)
Timeframe (to
implementation)
Practice tip: When evaluating
solutions, itis important to ask
the following questions and to
explore vendor capabilities in
these areas:
* Cost
© Effectiveness
* Collection scope
Analysis capability
‘Triage function
* Low noise
* Scalability
'* Performance impact
© interoperability
INSIDER THREAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GUIDE
DEVELOPMENT PHASE
‘The purpose of this process is to provide a systematic approach to
acquiring and analyzing insider risk information for purposes of
making informed resource allocation decisions. Resources will always
be limited, and prioritizing security requirements allows you to apply
them to the most critical assets. With this methodology, the goal of
security planning shifts from achieving maximum security to achieving
maximum effectiveness in the allocation of limited resources (ie.
reducing the greatest amount of risk at an acceptable cost).
Goal: The goal of this step is to develop an implementation roadmap
utilizing the results of Step 5.
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team, vendors,
and consultants.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 2 weeks to
complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because a prioritized plan
ensures the greatest amount of risk will be managed at the lowest
possible cost.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
11) Have a clear understanding of the risks identified in Step 5 - The
risk assessment will provide you with a granular and rank-ordered
understanding of which corporate assets are at greatest risk. Be sure
to determine the root cause of each. Is ita lack of monitoring or
auditing? Is ita lack of governance or oversight? Is it a weakness in
personnel processing? Once the cause is clear, proper controls can be
developed and implemented.
2) Develop requirements - A helpful framework for developing
requirements is to utilize the People, Process, and Technology model.
Ask yourself: are the risks identified in Step 5 best addressed by
adding or training people, improving or developing processes, or
applying technical solutions? People may be the most cost effective
approach and should be your first option especially if training existing
personnel is involved. Processes are also a very cost effective
approach and can often yield positive results by simply organizing and.
creating more efficient decision-making. Technology will likely always
bbe costlier, but may be the only option depending on the particular
operational requirements,
3) Identify solutions to support each requirement ~ This may involve
hiring or assigning existing personnel to fill needed roles; creating
new processes or procedures; or implementing new technical
solutions
[Link] @2015 27DEVELOPMENT PHASE
STEP 7: DEVELOP OPERATING
FRAMEWORK AND POLICY
Strong governance and policy
frameworks are the glue that
holds the Program together.
‘Weak frameworks lead to
ineffective and failed
programs.
Governance requires top-level
awareness, understanding,
authorization, and most
importantly, positive action.
Senior leaders must take an
active role in the
development and
implementation of the
Program.
Similarly, strong policies will
ensure parameters are
followed and alignment of
security and corporate
objectives. The baseline
results from Step 1 should
provide you with an
understanding of your policy
gaps.
Practice tip: An insider
threat program is strongest
when it is integrated with both
the security and information
security divisions. The ITPM
should bridge any gaps
between the CISO and CSO,
creating a unified mission
focused on managing insider
threats.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
Goal: The goal of this step is to develop the operating framework to
support the Action Plan through documented policies and procedures.
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team and
leadership.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 % weeks to
complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because clarity of roles and
responsibilities will enhance long term program viability.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
1) Create a corporate leadership engagement mechanism (eg. annual
‘or quarterly briefing for the board of directors) - This can be a
PowerPoint slide or similar presentation that covers successes
measured against Key Performance Indicator metrics (e.g, incidents
managed, decrease in alerts, fewer unauthorized logins or accesses,
etc.) The objective is to gain a regular audience with your leadership
and advise them of your Team's progress.
2) Develop strategy documents that support the Action Plan and
governance structure ~ Documentation is key to a successful program,
since it serves to capture and memorialize the organizations support
and dedication to securing the enterprise.
3) Develop policies that support the Action Plan - Each component
‘must be supported by a corresponding policy and procedures
statement. This is not to suggest that each component requires its own
dedicated policy or procedure. What is required, however, is to ensure
that the processes, roles, and objectives of each is captured and
documented. This may take the form of a single ITMP policy or be
broken into individual documents. The focus is on substance, not the
form in which itis captured and delivered,
[Link] 2016 28DEVELOPMENT PHASE
STEP 8:
OBTAIN EMPLOYEE SUPPORT
Employee support is a crucial Goal: The goal of this step is to establish employees as partners in the
part of any insider risk ‘operation of the Program.
management program for
one Participants: The participants in this step include HR snd senior
importantly, without it, (oder
employees may leave the Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to
company for another place complete
where they feel more ;
Ser rR ET pene Justification: this step is necessary because employees are the first
line of defense and are the greatest asset to the program itself.
Moreover, without employee support, the program will ose credibility
and legitimacy that could result in unintended consequences (e.g.
turnover and disgruntlement).
turnover inhibits confidence
and undermines morale.
Their supports also
necessary because research
and anecdotal evidence
How: To complete this step you must do the followin;
supports the finding that the = my .
majority of insider threats are 1) Develop the messaging plan - This will depend on your corporate
discovered through the culture and whether you have recently experienced an incident or have
observations of managers a history of security incidents and compromises. if you are starting at
and co-workers, not ground zero, then you will need to put forth more time and energy into
technological solutions. formulating a more holistic message. This will require coordination with
Effective employee support your HR, legal, and senior managers.
encompasses three pillars: 1)
they understand the 2) Craft communications (email, flyers, etc.) - Communications should
importance of security 2) they be simple and provide clarity about the reason for the new changes to
agree to operate within the security protocols or why new solutions or tools are now being utilized.
confines of security 3) they (Note: This is not to suggest that sources and methods should be
want to be an active disclosed, to the contrary. What should be disclosed, however, are the
participant in the security programmatic changes and the value to the corporation and employees
process. themselves.)
practice Gpemescgig iat 3) Deliver message ~The message should preferably come from senior
sspeaton ee ere con leadership, not from the Program managers themselves. A message
delivered by senior executives will carry with it a tone of legitimacy and
credibility that only they can provide. This will also demonstrate to the
workforce that they themselves (senior managers) have “bought in’ to
the program and value its contributions.
enhance an employee's work life
is far more effective than
focusing simply on the
ramifications of wrongdoing. To
that end, focus on personne!
assurance (preventing
workplace violence and
harassment) and business
viability (preventing theft of 1P
and sensitive information)
themes in your messaging.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 23IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
IMPLEMENTATION
PHASE
The goal of this phase is to operationalize the program. The participants in this step include the Team,
This step should take approximately 4 weeks to complete. This phase is necessary because only an
operationalized program will yield results. To complete this phase, you must do the following: develop an
analytic capability, develop an ability to respond to an event, and create an oversight and compliance
program.
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(ere)
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 30STEP 9:
ANALYZE DATA
Identifying available data
sources isa critical first step
in developing an effective
analytical capability
‘The parameters of your
sources will be dictated by
the scope of the program
that you are authorized to
create and the legal
parameters of each
Corporate culture is
important here as well. You
may now be authorized to
collect, for example, UAM
information, but you must
also be prepared to align that
with the culture and
expectations of your
employees.
Practice tip: You should strive
0 be as transparent as possible
with your employees. Their
involvement and support is
critical to the continued viability
of your Program.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
Goal: The goal of this step Is to ensure that you have the ability to
analyze collected data,
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 2 weeks to
complete,
Justification: This step is necessary because data must be analyzed to
be useful.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
1) Identify your existing and available data feeds. These may
include:
Internal Sources External Sources
Network Criminal
Off-network Pal
HR sM
Reporting,
Badge
2) Develop necessary data sharing agreements ~ The data owners will
likely be in different divisions of your organization. Ensuring that you
have mapped out the necessary sharing protocols is essential
3) Understand the form and shape of the data - Data may be structured
or unstructured. It may be stored in a spreadsheet or capable of being
sent to your team in “real time.” Understanding this will allow you to
more efficiently create your analytic methodologies.
4) Identify analytic solutions - The more robust your data set, the likelier
itis that you will need an automated solution. Seek solutions that map
well to your data sets.
5) Properly staff with intelligence analysts ~ Map existing resources to
analytic needs. Do you have the expertise to properly analyze this data?
[Link] @2016 31STEP 10: DEVELOP
RESPONSE CAPABILITY
Developing a response
capability is much broader
than simply creating an
ineident response pian. It
requires identifying and
understanding your entire
response framework ~ data
sources, alerts and events,
‘types of incidents, and partner
network.
Alerts and events or “tips” will
generally come from five
categories of sources: HR,
reporting (managers or
coworkers), InfoSec, UAM, or
outside sources (e.g. law
enforcement or regulatory
‘agencies). Do you have clear
processes and procedures to
obtain this information in a
timely manner?
Tips can generally be grouped
0 five categories:
misconduct, policy viclations,
fraud, sabotage, and theft of IP
or trade secrets. Do you
understand the proper
procedures for handling each
type?
Practice tip: Collection of
‘information to support a
criminal case requires specific
knowledge, skills, and abilities
to ensure that itis legally
admissible and usable by law
enforcement. Seek help from
outside experts early in the
process if there is evidence of
criminal activity.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
Goal: The goal of this step is to develop an efficient process
for investigating and responding to threats,
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team.
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to
complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because time is of the
essence after @ security event or incident. A clear plan will
facilitate efficient response and remediation.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
1) Identify potential investigative and response needs - The
size of your organization will largely dictate your needs. Other
factors include: recent history of incidents, implementing new
monitoring solutions, physical locations, new acquisitions, etc.
2) Identify in-house personnel, hire, or outsource - Do you
have the personnel to follow up with interviews and logical
investigations? Do you have in-house forensic capabilities?
‘Once you understand your response needs, assign roles to
current personnel or hire accordingly.
3) Develop a liaison network of providers and law enforcement
= Identify outside consultants, forensic experts, as well as local
law enforcement and prosecutorial officials.
4) Draft investigative workflows - Map how responses will be
handled and processed, including roles and responsible
officials.
Seon
cole
[Link] @2016 32STEP 11: IMPLEMENT.
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
OVERSIGHT AND COMPLIANCE
Oversight and compliance
(08C) is an essential, yet
often overlooked,
component of an effective
ITP,
In this context, O&C refers to
the operational oversight of
insider threat Team
members—in colloquial
terms, a 'watch the watchers!
program.
Unlike traditional security
programs that may collect
general data about an
employee, an ITMP will
collect vast amounts of highly
sensitive and personal
information. Safeguarding
and properly using this
information is of utmost
importance.
Practice tip: ideally the O&C
lead should be someone from
outside of the ITMP daily
operations. This will mitigate
any potential conflicts of
interest as well as provide a
true objective perspective to the
ITMP itself.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
Goal: The goal of this step is to ensure the ITMP is implemented in
accordance with acceptable business practices and complies with
existing legal and privacy requirements.
Participants: The participants in this step include the Team,
Timeframe: This step should take approximately 1 week to complete.
Justification: This step is necessary because it will create legitimacy,
protect against unlawful disclosure, and clarify handling rules and
procedures.
How: To complete this step you must do the following:
1) Identify an O&C lead ~ An FTE is not required, but you must identify a
responsible person to take ownership of the function,
2) Identify requirements - The objective is to ensure members of the
Team adhere to proper collection, use, and dissemination of sensitive
information and conduct themselves accordingly.
3) Draft compliance policy and procedures - Clear policies will drive an
effective Program while also instilling organizational support.
4) Create reporting metrics and mechanisms - Create a mechanism to
capture: lessons learned, mistakes, successes, etc.
5) Create feedback loops - Create a process to review and analyze
program effectiveness. Create a process to incorporate changes to the
program based on lessons learned and feedback.
[Link] 2016 33IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
CONCLUSION
Building an Insider Threat Management Program is an iterative process. It requires persistent attention, evaluation,
and top-to-bottom support. New solutions, laws, and best practices will continually be developed that will impact
your program. You must be vigilant and become an active participant and member of the insider risk management
community.
When building your program, itis important to be systematic and objective. Focusing on the four primary objectives
will help you stay on track - Know Your People, Know Your Data, Monitor Interactions, and Investigate. Objectivity
will allow you to freely establish relationships across your organization regardless of pre-defined barriers or
“traditional” security stove-pipes. Remember, this is a team effort that requires the support and involvement of
everyone in your organization.
It is the hope of the authors that this Guide has added to your understanding of how to develop an Insider Threat
Management Program. Our goal was to provide a practical guide backed by the experience of true insider threat
practitioners, We encourage you to regularly check the website [Link] for
updates and quarterly commentary on the topics discussed in this Guide. You are also encouraged to reach out to
the authors and provide us with your feedback on how we can improve upon this Guide for future releases,
GABRIEL FRIEDLANDER SHAWN M. THOMPSON, ESQ.
Founder and CTO gaby@[Link] Founder and President shawn@[Link]
ObservelT ‘[Link] Insider Threat Management Group [Link]
About ObservelT About ITMG
ObservelT isa lightweight endpoint solution that is ITNG isa leader in providing talored insider risk
focused on identifying and eliminating insider management advisory services to the private sector.
threats, ObservelT identifies and eliminates insider ITMG's line of services include Baseline Reviews,
threats with realtime security awareness, precise Insider Risk Assessments, Program Development
visibility and fast investigations. and Enhancement, Insider Threat Law Consulting,
Insider Threat Program Training, and Strategic
Consulting.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 34APPENDIX A
BASELINE SURVEY WORKSHEET
Use the chart below to capture your baseline results and the questions that follow to measure maturity levels. The
questions are suggested inquiries for you to benchmark your program and are not concrete component
requirements. The focus is on assessing the maturity level of each ecosystem component against the components
objective. Thus, the assessor should have the flexibility to assign a maturity level based on their knowledge gained
and understanding of objectives of each component,
Maturity Level
Oto 5("0"
10 progress and ”
fully developed)
Insider Threat management Ecosystem
POC Contact | Comments Maturity | Resources
Info Level Allocated
Governance
and Strategy
Personnel
Assurance
‘Awareness
and Training
Data
Management
Access
Control
UAM
Data Analysis
Investigation
Insider Risk
Assessment
Oversight
and Compliance
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 36Governance and Strategy
‘* Formal insider threat strategy?
‘* Formal governance structure?
© Formal insider threat management policy?
Personnel Assurance
# Background check policies and procedures?
* Continuous evaluation program?
© Criminal record checks only?
* Fully incorporated into HR processes?
Awareness and Training
* Security training program in place?
# Train on acceptable use of network?
* Trained on social engineering techniques?
* Trained on ability to identify behaviors indicative of insider threat?
Data Management
* Have you identified critical assets?
* Do you know where they are located?
* Do you know who has access to them?
* Do you know how they can be accessed?
* Have assets been classified?
© Are insiders’ interaction with data logged and audited?
Risk-Based Access Control
* Access control policies and procedures in place?
* Access based on least privileged concept?
# Access adjusted based on role and individual risk level?
User Activity Monitoring
# Do you monitor user activity on network and endpoints?
* Do you have UAM policies and procedures in place?
© Do you have specific policies and procedures governing the collection, use,
and dissemination of UAM data?
Data Analysis
# Do you have the ability to analyze insiders
# Do you have analytic tools in place?
eraction with data?
© Do you integrate multiple data sources to include both internal and external, network and off-network?
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
[Link] 2016Investigation and Threat Mitigation
* Do you have a current investigative capability?
# Do you have a current forensic capability?
# Do you have a formal incident response plan?
# Do you have legally sufficient NDAs, covenants, and IP documentation?
Insider Risk Assessment
* Do your currently conduct insider risk assessments using a repeatable methodology?
# Do you conduct assessments on a regular basis?
© Do you assess assets, threats, and vulnerabilities?
Oversight and Compliance
‘© Do you currently have an oversight and compliance program in place?
* Do you possess the ability to measure program effectiveness?
= Do you have a value-added feedback mechanism?
* Do you have a “watch-the-watchers” capability?
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
[Link] 2016 37APPENDIX B: INSIDER
THREAT MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM BUSINESS
CASE TEMPLATE
eer)
ert
foots
Cie crear
ore
Sane ot)
Recommendation
[Link] Summary.
No longer than a paragraph, five to six sentences
‘* Summarize the main points, tell the story
‘Pull value points from the body of the document
«Highlight benefits and how the project aligns with business objectives
‘ Draft with the executive audience in mind; write for the CEO, CFO, and Board
[Link] Value Proposition.
* Describe the project; introduce details to help define the rest of the discussion
# Include goals, objectives, performance criteria, assumptions, constraints, and milestones
‘Include clear statements of the problem and solutions
‘© Focus on two main points
+ Value - What will the project offer the company?
‘* Importance - Why should this project be funded instead of other projects?
Ill. Impact and Resource Requirements.
© For each solution define costs:
© Human capital
Licenses
208M
Equipment
Space
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 3NV. Cost-Benefit Analysis and Alternatives.
‘* Why should your project be funded?
* Focus on value versus costs per sé (you need to guard against the bias that any security expenditure
is simply a cost with little or no RO!)
* Cover both financial and non-financial (intangible) benefits:
* Increased client confidence
© Reduced risk of compromise
* Increased employee productivity
* Increased investor confidence
© Protection of reputation
* Create asset protection culture
‘¢ More efficient decision-making
© Early threat detection
* Lower remediation costs
* Reduced impact of compromise
¢ Halt loss of intellectual property
# Bolster existing security measures
* Reduced time to resolve incidents
V. Recommendation.
© Bring it all together
* Use a phased approach to discussing alternatives and impacts of each:
© Do nothing
= Good
Better
2 Best
© Support each with evidence from prior sections and relate directly to business impacts and value proposition
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM,
[Link] 2016
29APPENDIX C: INSIDER
RISK ASSESSMENT
OUTLINE
‘These activities should be conducted on a continuing basis because risk management is a dynamic process requiring
‘monitoring of changes to asset value, threat, and vulnerability. Where significant risks have been accepted, itis
important to include contingency planning as part of the risk management process.
This methodology uses a systematic approach. Each step outlined below is further broken down into sub-steps. Risk
management includes cost as a major variable in the decision-making process. Resources will always be limited, and
prioritizing security requirements allows the client to apply them to the most critical assets. With this methodology,
the goal of security planning shifts from achieving maximum security to achieving maximum effectiveness in the
allocation of limited resources.
This five-step process is iterative vice sequential,
ie. each step may yield further information and
provide context that affects previously + ,
sexeoped eran ns ear ach ep Mentty Identify
requires clear documentation that can be
further analyzed and presented to the client as
needed.
The process begins with an assessment of the
value (qualitative or quantitative) of assets, the
degree of a specific threat, and the extent of the
vulnerabilities. These three factors determine
risk, A decision is then made as to what level of
risk can be accepted and which
‘countermeasures should be applied. Such a
decision involves a cost-benefit analysis, giving
decision-makers the ability to weigh varying Identify
security risk levels against the cost of specific
countermeasures.
Assess Identify
Risk Threats
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 40Step 1. Identify assets and loss impacts
1.1 Determine critical assets requiring protection
1.2 Identify undesirable events and expected impacts
1.3 Value and prioritize assets based on consequence of loss
Step 2. Identify and characterize the threat
2.1 Identify threat categories
2.2 Assess knowledge and motivation of the threat
2.3 Assess capability of the threat
2.4 Determine frequency of threat-related Incidents based on historical data
2.5 Estimate degree of threat-related to each critical asset and undesirable event
Step 3. Identify and analyze vulnerabilities
3.1 Identify potential vulnerabilities related to specific assets and undesirable events
3.2 Identify existing countermeasures and their level of effectiveness in reducing vulnerabilities,
3.3 Estimate degree of vulnerability relative to each asset and threat
Step 4. Assess risk and determine priorities for asset protection
4.1 Estimate degree of impact relative to each critical asset
4.2 Estimate likelihood of attack by a potential threat
4.3 Estimate likelihood that a specific vulnerability will be exploited
44 Determine relative degree of risk [R=IIT*V)]
455 Identify unacceptable risks and determine risk mitigation priorities
Step 5. Identify countermeasures, costs, and tradeoffs
5.1 Identify potential countermeasures to reduce vulnerabilities,
5.2 Identify countermeasure capability and effectiveness (i.e. risk reduction)
5.3 Determine degree of risk reduction (the benefit) provided by the countermeasure
5.4 Identify countermeasure cost
5.5 Conduct countermeasure cost-benefit and tradeoff analysis
5.6 Prioritize options and prepare recommendations for decision-maker
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] @2016 41APPENDIX D:
RESPONSE WORKFLOW
InfoSec Reporting Example Scenario
Collection: InfoSec reports to the Insider Threat Team about a potential data leak event triggered by the existing DLP
solution.
Triage: Insider Threat Team obtains additional information from InfoSec, HR and Management on whether the DLP
event is within:
‘* The scope of what the employee is allowed to do
© Within his job role
© Was actually performed by the employee or by an impersonator
© Was it malicious, negligent, or within company policy?
Investigate: : The Insider Threat Team reports the DLP event to HR and requests employment status, such as
whether the employee is under a performance review. The insider Threat Team also consults with the employee
manager about whether the employee actions were legitimate and within the normal business policy. The Team then
conducts logical follow-up investigation to determine all facts and root cause of the event.
‘Action: if the employee's activity was within the acceptable business policy, the incident will be closed and the
Insider Threat Team will report back to InfoSec with suggestions to properly configure the DLP in order to exclude
these type of alerts again. The incident will be documented and policies may need to be revised.
If the employee's activity was not within the acceptable business policy, the Team will initiate deeper user activity
‘monitoring including screen recording, The Insider Threat Team will request that the InfoSec Forensic Team review
all logs for that employee for any additional risk indicators.
Based on the forensic investigation results the Insider Threat Team will either close the case or consult with the legal
department on necessary follow-up actions.
INSIDER THREAT PROGRAM, [Link] 2016 42