An Insider Threat refers to a security risk posed by individuals within an organization, such as employees, contractors, or business partners, who have authorized access to the organization’s resources and data. These individuals can intentionally or unintentionally misuse their access to harm the organization, compromise data, or disrupt operations.

This can be malicious were Individuals who intentionally cause harm, such as stealing data for financial gain, espionage, or revenge. It can be negligent where employees who unintentionally expose data through careless actions, such as falling for phishing attacks or mishandling sensitive information. It can also be compromised where employees whose credentials have been stolen or compromised by external attackers, allowing the attackers to impersonate them and access internal systems.