Insider Threats

Many businesses today are finding that the greatest threats don’t always come from hackers or cybercriminals outside their organisation. Instead, the most serious risks can emerge from within. Insider threats are becoming more sophisticated, with attackers using new and increasingly subtle tactics to infiltrate companies.

In the past, securing a business was mostly about defending against external threats, but now organisations must focus just as much on the people they trust to join their teams and the security measures they have in place around hiring and onboarding. This shift in how threats manifest requires a new approach to risk management, compliance, and governance.

Let’s explore why risk and compliance officers need to stay ahead of this evolving threat landscape, how insiders are exploiting weaknesses in the hiring process and what businesses can do to mitigate the risks.

The Role of Risk and Compliance Officers: Protecting More Than Just Policies

Risk and compliance officers have long been tasked with ensuring that businesses follow the law, adhere to regulations, and maintain strong internal practices. But in today’s world, their role is more critical than ever. These officers are responsible for making sure that employees, contractors, and anyone interacting with the organisation is trustworthy. As cyber-attacks become more human-focused, it’s no longer enough to just be aware of the rules; officers must dig deeper into the people within the organisation.

Here’s a question: How well do you truly know the people working for you? It’s easy to assume that the employees you hire are who they say they are, but with the rise of fake CVs, deepfakes, and identity manipulation, those assumptions can leave your organisation exposed to insider threats. A simple background check won’t cut it anymore.

Compliance officers must go beyond ticking boxes and start thinking about the deeper risks of human infiltration. Background checks, continuous monitoring, and more sophisticated methods of employee validation are now essential to maintaining a secure environment.

Behind the Scenes: How Futurum Helped Connect the Dots

One of Futurum’s clients suspected that a high-level employee was planning to steal and sell intellectual property. Through open-source research, we were able to confirm that this employee had been meeting with officers of a competitor company.

Armed with this knowledge, our field operatives surveilled a meeting taking place between our client’s employee and the client’s competitors. At this meeting, the employee was observed offering our client’s IP to their competitors in return for a lucrative job offer.

In another case, Futurum was instructed by a large FMCG company to investigate stolen products that were being sold on secondary marketplaces. The objective was to determine where these products were being diverted from company processes, where they were being sold, and by whom.

Using product-specific information and export data, we were able to identify the specific point in the export process at which products were being diverted. Working with the client, we identified the employees responsible for the products at this stage of the process. Armed with employee details, we identified family members of those employees who were selling products identical to those procured by our clients on secondary marketplaces.

The Shift from Cyberattacks to Human Infiltration

Traditionally, cyberattacks were about exploiting software vulnerabilities, running phishing scams, or deploying malware. But these attackers have now evolved to use more subtle tactics.

Take the case of a hacker who attempted to apply for a job at a major US tech company. Instead of launching a traditional cyberattack, the attacker tried to infiltrate the organisation from within, using a fake CV and a manipulated online presence to appear as a credible candidate. This is part of a wider trend where state-sponsored actors are increasingly using job applications and other human-focused tactics to gain access to sensitive company data.

Rather than relying on brute force to breach systems, these attackers exploit human weaknesses, targeting the hiring process, onboarding procedures, and even remote work systems. This shift in tactics means companies need to rethink their security models and understand that a strong defence isn’t just about technology; it’s about the people you hire and trust.

How Deepfakes and Fake CVs Are Helping Attackers Slip Past Security

One of the most concerning threats today is deepfake technology. This AI-driven innovation allows attackers to create hyper-realistic videos and audio that can convincingly impersonate people, including potential employees. Imagine an attacker using deepfake technology to pose as a high-ranking executive during a job interview or impersonating a credible candidate. This technology makes it harder than ever to spot malicious actors hiding behind false identities.

Fake CVs and resumes have also become far more sophisticated. Attackers craft well-designed documents with fake qualifications and fabricated work histories to make themselves appear as the perfect candidate. Once hired, they can gain access to sensitive data and systems, becoming an insider threat without ever being detected.

This threat is especially worrying in the context of remote work. With face-to-face interviews increasingly replaced by video calls, it’s easier for attackers to use deepfakes or manipulated identities to get past the recruitment process unnoticed.

Corporate Due Diligence Gaps: The Risk of Hiring and Remote Work

Remote work continues to be the norm for many businesses, but it is also creating new security gaps. While remote work offers flexibility, it also provides opportunities for attackers to exploit weaknesses in your security measures. Without in-person interactions, it is much harder to build trust and assess a candidate’s true identity. Employees working remotely may not always follow the same security protocols as those working in the office, which makes it easier for malicious actors to slip through.

Many businesses are still using traditional hiring methods, like basic criminal checks and simple qualification verifications, that no longer hold up against modern threats like fake identities and deepfakes. These traditional checks don’t account for the risks posed by digital deception, such as deepfakes and fake CVs. Without a comprehensive and up-to-date background screening process, businesses can unknowingly expose themselves to new-age threats.

Are You Fully Aware of Your Vulnerabilities? Background Checks Are Your First Line of Defence

So, how vulnerable are you? Have you fully considered the risks posed by your hiring process? If not, it might be time to take a closer look. Many organisations still rely on outdated background checks, which may miss key red flags and leave them exposed. Basic criminal checks and employment verifications are no longer enough. With the rise of deepfakes and fake CVs, companies need to upgrade their screening methods to avoid falling victim to these sophisticated attacks.

Background checks must evolve beyond the basics. Social media analysis, verification of work and education histories, and even an AI-driven review of digital footprints can help expose inconsistencies that traditional checks might miss. These advanced checks are essential to ensuring new hires are who they say they are.

Strengthening Your Hiring Process: Proactive Risk Management

To stay ahead of the evolving insider threat landscape, businesses need to adopt a proactive risk management framework. Here are steps companies can take to protect themselves:

• Treat every new hire as a potential risk until proven otherwise. Conduct continuous checks and validation throughout their time at the company, not just at the point of hire.
• Don’t rely on standard checks. Go deeper with advanced background screening that includes social media monitoring, thorough employment verification, and AI-driven analysis of CVs to spot inconsistencies or red flags.
• Once hired, keep an eye on employee behaviour. If someone accesses sensitive data without clearance or behaves suspiciously, it should raise alarms. Implement systems to track behaviour and detect any changes that might indicate insider threats.
• HR, IT, and cybersecurity teams must work together to ensure that employees are thoroughly vetted from every angle. This holistic approach will help build a more secure organisation by addressing both the human and technical aspects of risk.

Protecting Your Business from the Inside Out

Threats are evolving. They no longer just come from malicious actors hacking into systems; they come from people within the organisation, using tactics like fake CVs, deepfakes, and impersonation to access critical information. As cyber risks become more human-driven, businesses need to rethink their approach to risk management.

By upgrading your background screening processes, implementing continuous monitoring, and taking a more proactive approach to hiring, you can better protect your organisation from these insider threats. Trustworthiness must be at the core of every hiring decision, and that starts with ensuring the people who join your company are who they say they are.

Do you know how vulnerable your company is to insider threats? It’s time to find out. Let’s talk about how a thorough background check and vulnerability test can help protect your business.