The Invisible Threat: Why Anomalies in User Behavior Are a Major Risk to Your Company
In today's digital business environment, cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly complex and insidious. The greatest risks no longer stem merely from external attacks, but from "insider" threats—anomalies that masquerade as normal user activities. So, how do you know if an authorized user's account has been compromised or if a malicious employee is stepping outside their standard permissions? The answer lies in User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) technology.
How Big is the Problem? Insider Threats by the Numbers
Insider threats can stem from malicious employees or compromised credentials of legitimate users. Both scenarios can have devastating consequences for companies. Statistics clearly highlight the magnitude of this danger:
- According to the 2024 Insider Threat Report by Cybersecurity Insiders, 83% of organizations have experienced at least one insider attack in the past year.
- Even more alarming is that the proportion of organizations facing 11 to 20 attacks has surged fivefold, from 4% to 21%, compared to the previous year.
- The cost of these attacks is also substantial. For 32% of affected companies, recovery costs ranged from $100,000 to $499,000, while for 21%, this cost climbed to between $1 million and $2 million. These figures do not include immeasurable damages like loss of reputation and customer trust.
These numbers demonstrate that traditional security measures (firewalls, antivirus software, etc.) are insufficient for detecting insider threats. This is because these threats are often hidden behind "authorized" user credentials, going unnoticed by standard security systems.
Kron PAM and UEBA: The Smart Defense Mechanism for Instant Threat Detection
This is where Kron's Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution, combined with its AI-powered User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) module, offers companies a proactive shield of protection.
Kron PAM does more than just control who accesses what and when. Through its UEBA module, it continuously learns and analyzes the "normal" behavior profile of each user and entity (such as servers, applications, etc.). This process is driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms.
- Baseline Behavior Profiling: The system creates a behavioral baseline for each user by analyzing various parameters, such as normal login times, accessed servers, and even commands executed in a session.
- Anomaly Detection: Any activity that deviates from this established baseline is instantly flagged as an "anomaly." For example: An employee connecting to a server late at night that they normally never access. A user accessing critical system resources from an unrecognized device or IP address. An administrator executing commands that they have never used before or commands that are typically associated with malicious intent.
- Risk Scoring: Each detected anomaly is assigned a risk score. For example, a single anomalous login might initially receive a low-risk score; however, if the same user proceeds to execute high-risk commands or accesses multiple critical resources shortly afterward, the risk score will rapidly escalate, triggering automated security responses.
- Automated Response: When a risk score exceeds a predefined critical threshold, Kron PAM automatically intervenes. It can terminate the suspicious session, suspend the user's account, or completely lock the user’s account to prevent any further damage. This neutralizes a potential threat before it can cause any damage.
Benefits and Outcomes
- Proactive Threat Hunting: Threats are detected and prevented before they can be executed, not after the fact.
- Complete Visibility into Insider Threats: Risks posed by malicious or negligent employees, as well as compromised credentials, are effectively eliminated.
- Operational Efficiency: Security teams can focus on real, high-risk anomalies instead of getting lost in thousands of false-positive alerts.
In conclusion, User and Entity Behavior Analytics is not a luxury in cybersecurity; it is a necessity. The UEBA capabilities offered by Kron PAM provide not just a line of defense to protect your company's most valuable assets, but an intelligent system that anticipates future threats.
*Written by Beyza Nur Karakuş. She is a Product Owner at Kron.
