Insider Risk is the amount of damage any event can cause due to an insider threat activity. According to a study by The Ponemon Institute, the average cost of an insider threat to an organization increases by 76%.
Data is today’s most valuable asset, and insider risks are a significant concern. A quarter of security incidents occur due to a known or unknown insider threat. Thus, protecting an organization against these kinds of threats requires the proper process, technology, and people.
What Is Insider Risk Management?
Insider risk is when a member of an organization, whether aware or unaware, jeopardizes the well-being of network security or breaches data.
Insider risk management represents software or services that help identify potential malicious or accidental insider risks, such as IP theft, data leakage, and security violations.
According to Microsoft, 93% of organizations are concerned about insider risks. Insider threats cause 25% of data loss. Insider risk management comprises various monitoring tools and ML algorithms to find anomalies in user activity.
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What Is Insider Risk Management Software?
Insider risk management software, also called Insider Threat Detection and Prevention software, is a set of cybersecurity tools and solutions that help businesses identify and reduce risks from employees, contractors, and others accessing the business’s systems and data.
These insiders could hurt the company’s security, image, or operations accidentally or intentionally.
Features Insider Risk Management Software
Insider risk management software serves many organizational functions, including faster action-taking against insider threats, centralized control, built-in privacy, etc.
With the help of IRM software, you first choose the set of policies you want to implement in your organization. Some insider risk management solutions work on ML algorithms, which are continuously trained, making them more and more efficient.
Regular alerts are also a great feature, enabling you to monitor any anomaly quickly. Reports are also generated for suspected users, which can be reviewed for further investigation.
The most helpful feature is that IRM software automates the workflow, making it easier for security personnel to record anomalies. Built-in extra privacy is also a deeming feature of Insider Risk Management Software.
Best Practices Of Insider Risk Management
Best practices include various vital points, the first of which is considering any required geographical or regional compliance.
The next step is to set up governance in your organization, establish what and how applications should be used, and respond to any outside threats, such as links, emails, PDFs, pen drives, etc.
Training is also essential for employees to be educated enough not to become unknown insider threats. After training is done, it is time to analyze threats and risks. And the most prominent sectors, which are more susceptible to insider threats, should be monitored closely.
How Does Insider Risk Management Software Work?
Insider risk management software differs from software to software, depending on its approach, whether benchmark-based, ML algorithms or rule-based. The most fundamental work of an insider risk management solution is analyzing user behaviors in an organization.
The twist is that the software marks some behavior as a threat. Vendors can use regular rule-based approaches, such as if a low-privilege user is accessing something abnormal. Others use ML algorithms and trained data sets to decide whether or not the user’s action is abnormal to report.
IAM, SIEM, Privileged Access Management, Data Loss Prevention, User and Entity Behavior Analytics, and other analytical tools are integrated to help Insider Risk Management Software analyze more profound user behavior.
The Insider Risk Management solution also manages the client’s ticketing system using the purpose-based access principle.
Here Are Our Picks For The 10 Best Insider Risk Management Platforms And Their Feature
- DoControl: Automates detection and management of insider threats with real-time data access monitoring.
- ActivTrak: Provides visibility into employee activity and behavior to identify and manage insider risks.
- Elevate Platform: Offers advanced analytics and risk assessments to effectively manage and mitigate insider threats.
- Splunk: Analyzes security data to detect and respond to insider threats through real-time monitoring and alerts.
- Varonis: Monitors and analyzes user behavior and data access patterns to identify potential insider threats.
- Forcepoint: Utilizes behavioral analytics to detect and prevent insider threats based on user activity and data access.
- Securonix: Delivers advanced threat detection with behavioral analytics and machine learning for insider risk management.
- Proofpoint: Provides comprehensive protection by analyzing user behavior and communication to detect and mitigate insider threats.
- Exabeam: Uses behavioral analytics and automation to identify and respond to insider threats in real-time.
- LogRhythm: Combines security analytics and machine learning to detect, investigate, and respond to insider threats.
Best Insider Risk Management Platforms Features
Best Insider Risk Management Platforms | Features | Stand Alone Feature | Pricing | Free Trial / Demo |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. DoControl | AI-Powered Threat Detection Automated Security Workflows End-User Engagement SaaS Data Loss Prevention Security Posture Dashboard | Automated access control and risk management. | Custom pricing | Yes |
2. ActivTrak | Keeping track of what employees do Tracking How an Application Is Used Keep an eye on your website and URL Alerts You Can Change Analysis of Productivity | Employee monitoring and productivity insights. | Starts at $9/user/month | Yes |
3. Elevate Platform | Data Integration Behavioral Analytics Alerts and Notifications Case Management User Education and Deterrence | Advanced threat detection and response. | Custom pricing | Yes |
4. Splunk | Incident Response and Case Management Customizable Risk Scoring Compliance and Reporting Dashboards that can be changed AI and machine learning work together | Data analysis for security insights. | Custom pricing | Yes |
5. varonis | Governance of Data Access Detection of Insider Threats Help with compliance Data transport engine data privilege | Data security and insider threat detection. | Custom pricing | Yes |
6. Forcepoint | Controls and permissions for access. Virus defense. Watching what people do. Management of compliance. Making a dashboard. | Behavior analytics and threat protection. | Custom pricing | Yes |
7. Securonix | Entity Behavior Analytics Cloud Security Monitoring Scalability and Integration Proactive Threat Hunting Automated Incident Response | Security analytics and user behavior monitoring. | Custom pricing | Yes |
8. Proofpoint | Recording sound. Transcription by machine Management of the call center. Listening to calls. Profiling of Users and Entities | Comprehensive email and data protection. | Custom pricing | Yes |
9. Exabeam | Security log handling on a large scale Strong analysis of behavior. Experience with automated investigations… The Security Operations Platform from Exabeam Options for deployment in the cloud or on-premises | Security information and event management. | Custom pricing | Yes |
10. LogRhythm | Keeping track of logs and events Taking care of assets Taking care of networks Identifying threats and analyzing them. Response to an incident and case management. | Unified security intelligence and threat detection. | Custom pricing | Yes |
1. DoControl
Location and year: New York, New York, United States, 2020
DoControl insider risk management solution that uses unified, automated AI to detect and prevent insider threats for SaaS applications without affecting the uptime of the infrastructure
It ingests information from Human Resource Information System (HRIS) applications and monitors user and admin activity for detection based on anomaly signals, risky behavioral patterns, and trigger workflows.
This SaaS security platform uses CASB to enforce granular data access control policies; Cloud-Native DLP ensures Next-generation data loss prevention; and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) streamlines admin audit logs to detect and respond to configuration drifts
Features
- Business-critical SaaS apps can be connected with DoControl with a few clicks.
- DoControl lists OAuth-authorized and unauthorized SaaS apps, users, collaborators, assets, and third-party websites.
- DoControl continuously monitors SaaS applications and data access to detect data breaches in real-time.
- Conditional security workflows can be created with a no-code policy enforcement tool.
- This extends Zero Trust beyond identity, device, and network.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Automated data access controls | Enhanced user interface customization options. |
Real-time risk monitoring alerts | More integrations with third-party tools. |
User-friendly interface design | Improved scalability for larger organizations. |
Seamless integration with platforms | Better real-time alerting and response. |
2. ActivTrak
Location and year: Austin, Texas, 2009.
ActivTrak protects privacy and prevents critical data misalignment across the enterprise without compromising productivity. This solution tracks remote and in-office productivity and process and technology engagement without compromising employee privacy and building trust.
It identifies inactive accounts, unallocated or unused licenses, applications with overlapping functionality, posing malware risk, or failing to meet the privacy and security requirements of the organization and automatically blocks them.
When new applications are introduced into the environment, ActivTrak sets custom limits. Alarms are triggered for activities such as USB device use, unauthorized file sharing, access to blocked domains, user deletion from computers, and Slack or MS Teams notifications. Based on user risk scores and risky activities, automated actions are configured.
Features
- At regular intervals, ActivTrak can capture an employee’s computer screen to reveal their activity.
- ActivTrak tracks employee web activity by URL and website.
- ActivTrak comes with reports and dashboards to analyze staff activity.
- The secrecy mode in most ActivTrak devices prevents tracking when the user is away.
- The software’s built-in integrations with other programs and platforms simplify workflows.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Keeping an eye on how well employees work | Worries about privacy |
Use Statistics | Trust in employees |
Compliance with Security | |
Alerts You Can Change | |
3. Elevate Platform
Location and year: Denver, Colorado, United States, 2020.
Elevate Identity authenticates or denies system access based on user risk intelligence in IAM and IGA systems. User risk determines conditional access policies and governance assessments, accelerating anomaly incident triage and automating controls.
This insider risk management software consists of three products: Elevate Engage, Elevate Control, and Elevate Identity. It follows the principle of finding which is most’ at-risk.’
Elevate Engage tracks computing habits and security concerns and provides individualized feedback, scorecards, and training. It decreases SOC operating burdens from high-risk user-generated incidents and adds individual risk data to SecOps policies, tooling, and control automation to free up resources for real threats.
Features
- Clients pay the lowest stock rate for which they are eligible.
- Elevate’s straightforward billing tiers cut rates when clients spend more.
- Elevate provides essential tax wrappers and investment solutions for diverse client financial planning needs.
- Our straightforward pricing offers excellent value to clients.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Advanced risk detection capabilities | User Interface Enhancements Needed |
Comprehensive insider threat analytics | Expand Integration Capabilities |
Customizable policy enforcement | Improve Real-Time Alerting Precision |
Seamless integration with existing systems | Increase Reporting Customization Options |
4. Splunk
Location and year: San Francisco, California, U.S., 2003.
Spunk AI uses APIs to detect, investigate, and respond to threats: Analytics power SIEM, AI models, and visualizations. Splunk SOAR supports the SOC by orchestrating security procedures and automating actions in seconds.
This comprehensive security and observability data platform provides extensive data access, advanced analytics, and automation to strengthen companies. Manage, search, federate, and automate events, logs, and metrics data from bespoke and third-party tools, public and private clouds, on-premise data centers, and devices.
Allowing security analysts to focus on mission-critical objectives by automating security tasks and workflows across all security tools. It establishes repeatable procedures, addresses every alert, and lowers MTTR.
As a part of recovery, Splunk absorbs shocks and restores critical services faster to minimize the impact of outages and breaches.
Features
- Splunk can import data from logs, files, databases, APIs, and streaming data.
- Users can query data in real-time or retroactively using Splunk’s search language.
- Charts, graphs, and dashboards enable Splunk users to create meaningful reports and get data insights.
- Alerts can be set up for important events or anomalies based on established or custom criteria.
- Splunk automates data parsing and structuring, making it easier to analyze and visualize.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Strong Analysis of Data | Pricey Licenses |
Watching in real time | Curve of Learning |
Strong eco-system | |
Dashboards that can be changed | |
5. Varonis
Location and year: Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America, 2005.
Varonis prioritizes insider risk management by providing deep data visibility, classification, and automated data access remediation. It employs least privilege automation to lower blast radius without human intervention or business impact.
It logs all files, folders, and email actions for cloud and on-prem auditing. A thorough forensic investigation involves searching and filtering by user, file server, and event type. It provides data security transparency through continuous risk assessment, file sensitivity, access, and activity.
It determines effective, shared link permissions to nested permission groups and prioritizes remediation by risk. User Entity and Behavioral Analytics (UEBA) warnings stop threats and malicious actors in real-time with automatic countermeasures.
Features
- Only authorized users can access data after analyzing access rights, entitlements, and classification.
- Data breaches and security incidents can be monitored and investigated using audits and reporting.
- It can detect unusual access patterns, privilege requests, and data theft.
- It shows user and group activity across data sources.
- The platform warns users of security incidents and provides tools to investigate and stop threats.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Governance of Data Access | Setup is hard |
Detection of Insider Threats | High cost at first |
Help with compliance | |
Ability to grow | |
6. Forcepoint
Location and year: Austin, Texas, United States, 1994.
Forcepoint reduces insider risks and cuts costs with Data-First Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which uses Generative AI and Zero Trust. Integrating this tool can achieve networking and security from a single SD-WAN and SSE and perform automated data classification, continuous monitoring, and visibility.
Cloud-Native Hyperscaler uses a single console for over 6,000 websites, standardized data security policies, and no third-party agents to simplify everyday operations. It also uses AWS and OCI for continuous availability.
Forcepoint provides a security policy to all channels for DLP across the cloud, network, and endpoints, boosting cloud app performance and security. AI/ML analyzes user and device activity and remediates with automated context-based security.
Features
- Cloud security solutions from Forcepoint can protect AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud users.
- It helps companies enforce web usage policies and secure employee web access.
- Content inspection, policy enforcement, and incident response are included.
- Email content filtering, encryption, and enhanced threat protection are included.
- It enforces cloud application and data security.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Securing the cloud | Some cases of poor performance |
Trying not to lose data | Relatively heavy on resources. |
Analytics of User and Entity Behavior | |
7. Securonix
Location and year: United States of America, 2007.
Securonix provides advanced insider risk management by leveraging machine learning and analytics to detect and respond to suspicious activities within an organization. It aims to protect sensitive data from intentional and unintentional threats from insiders.
The platform offers real-time threat detection and automated response capabilities, enabling security teams to identify potential risks before they escalate. Its intuitive interface helps streamline investigations and enforce security policies effectively.
Securonix integrates with existing security infrastructure to enhance visibility and control over insider threats. Its scalable solutions are designed to adapt to various organizational sizes and complexities, ensuring comprehensive protection across diverse environments.
Features
- Securonix monitors and detects real-time threats using logs, network traffic, and endpoint data.
- Machine learning and behavior analytics help Securonix identify abnormal users and entities.
- This may indicate insider or sophisticated, persistent threats.
- Logs and data come from apps, PCs, firewalls, and cloud services.
- Securonix uses advanced algorithms to detect security risks and anomalies.
- It alerts and tips when suspicious.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Analysis of how people act | Curve of Learning |
Identifying a threat | Problems with Integration |
8. Proofpoint
Location and year: San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, West Coast, 2017.
Proofpoint’s Insider Risk Management solution leverages advanced machine learning to detect and analyze potential insider threats by monitoring user behavior and data access patterns. It provides real-time alerts to mitigate risks and protect sensitive information.
The platform integrates seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, offering comprehensive visibility into internal activities while reducing false positives. It supports customizable risk thresholds to adapt to your organization’s specific needs and policies.
Proofpoint emphasizes user privacy and compliance by ensuring its monitoring practices align with regulatory requirements and organizational policies, allowing for effective risk management without compromising employee trust or legal standards.
Features
- In addition to keystrokes, Proofpoint tracks application activity, file access, and network behavior.
- The software detects insider risks in user behavior using behavioral analytics.
- Proofpoint alerts you to suspicious or unusual activities in real-time so you can act fast.
- It stores user sessions like terminal and remote desktop sessions for subsequent review.
- Proofpoint monitors and stops data theft through DLP systems.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Keeping track of logs and events | Uses a lot of resources |
Response to an incident and case management | Problems with Integration |
9. Exabeam
Location and year: Foster City, California, United States, 2013.
Exabeam offers advanced insider risk management through its behavioral analytics platform. This platform identifies unusual patterns and potential threats by analyzing user behavior and system interactions, providing actionable insights to mitigate insider risks effectively.
By leveraging machine learning and automated response capabilities, Exabeam helps organizations detect and respond to insider threats in real time, reducing the time it takes to identify suspicious activities and minimizing the impact of potential security breaches.
Exabeam’s solution integrates seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, offering scalable and customizable risk management tools that enhance visibility across the network and streamline incident investigation processes, ensuring comprehensive protection against insider threats.
Features
- Exabeam gathers and standardizes data from several sources, providing a comprehensive perspective.
- The platform uses machine learning and behavior analytics to discover user and entity behavior outliers.
- Exabeam assesses users’ and organizations’ behavior risk.
- This prioritizes notifications and investigations.
- Real-time warnings and notifications are sent for suspicious behavior or security issues.
- Exabeam timelines and forensics help security teams investigate and respond to occurrences.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Keeping track of what users do | Complexity of Integration |
Notifications and Alerts | Problems with Scalability |
Trying not to lose data | |
10. LogRhythm
Location and year: Boulder, Colorado; Maidenhead, England; and Singapore, 2003
LogRhythm’s Insider Risk Management Solution offers advanced threat detection and analytics, leveraging machine learning and behavioral analysis to identify and mitigate insider threats before they impact organizational security.
It provides comprehensive visibility into user activities across your network, enabling real-time monitoring and alerting on suspicious behaviors that may indicate potential insider risks or data breaches.
The solution integrates seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, ensuring a streamlined approach to insider threat management while enhancing overall security posture and compliance with industry regulations.
Features
- LogRhythm normalizes log and event data from network devices, servers, apps, and endpoints.
- The platform offers real-time alerts and messages if it detects anything unusual in incoming data.
- LogRhythm uses advanced analytics, machine learning, and threat intelligence to detect internal and external threats.
- It employs UEBA to identify unusual user and entity behavior that may indicate security vulnerabilities.
- LogRhythm offers case management, investigation, and repair procedures for easier security incident management.
What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
---|---|
Keeping track of logs and events | It uses a lot of resources |
Response to an incident and case management | Problems with Integration |