Employees are now more dangerous to their company than external hackers

Date:
Mon, 04 May 2026 12:12:53 +0000

Description:
Company insides pose a bigger risk than ever to company cybersecurity, and attackers know this.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Internal threats now represent more than half of cases, at 57% Employees' devices and credentials are among the most targeted Companies should acknowledge this and tighten access for a quick fix New data from Orange Cyberdefense has suggested the biggest risks companies face could now be coming from inside, with internal threats rising from 47% to 57% in the space of less than a year.

For the first time ever, internal threats have become more common that external ones, with hacking remaining pretty steady at 31% of attacks
compared with employee misuse, which rose from 29% to 45%. However, while
it's the employees who could be driving a higher risk internally, companies could be doing more to protect themselves in far more than just the basic cybersecurity sense. Article continues below You may like Insider threats could be the biggest risk your business faces this year Why software defects are now the biggest security threat The Human Risk Reckoning: Why security must evolve for an AI-augmented workforce Internal risks are now the biggest threat organizations face The report attributes some risks to the rise in shadow IT something we've heard a lot about lately as companies struggle to apply AI correctly across their organizations. Frustrated workers often
resort to unapproved tools, often feeding sensitive company information into public apps.

There's also the fact that hackers themselves are more frequently targeting company insiders, exploiting everyday employee behavior instead of having to rely on more sophisticated, crafted attacks from outside.

"While not inherently malicious, employee misuse can be just as damaging as a sophisticated breach, especially given that attackers are increasingly
turning policy workarounds into external entry points," Senior Security Researcher Carl Morris explained.

Endpoints remain one of the biggest targets, with workers' devices involved
in more than half (53%) of incidents. And while they account for a smaller percentage overall, identity attacks also rose from 10% to 17% in around a year. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Looking ahead, Orange Cyberdefense urges companies to acknowledge that many risks now come from within an organization. Tightening access controls and privileges can shrink the attack surface altogether, while simple
multi-factor authentication can also serve to prevent attackers from gaining access. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/employees-are-now-more-dangerous-to-the ir-company-than-external-hackers


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