ITM is an open framework - Submit your contributions now.

Insider Threat Matrix™

  • ID: IF016
  • Created: 22nd July 2024
  • Updated: 22nd July 2024
  • Contributor: The ITM Team

Misappropriation of Funds

A subject dishonestly makes false representations, fails to disclose information or abuses their access or position to make a financial gain and/or cause a loss to an organization. Methods to achieve this include unauthorized bank transfers, misuse of corporate cards, or creating fictitious invoices.

Subsections

ID Name Description
IF016.006Creation of Fictitious Invoices

A subject with access to a billing system or indirect access to a billing system misuses their access to create fraudulent invoices, causing payments to be diverted to themselves, a business they own, or a third party.

IF016.007Excessive Overtime

A subject that self reports hours worked, and/or is eligible to claim overtime or an individual responsible for reporting such working time may falsify time records or make false representations to a working time system to cause payment or time in lieu for unperformed work.

IF016.004Insider Trading

A subject with access to sensitive or confidential information may decide to use that information to trade the company's stock or other securities (like bonds or stock options) based on significant, nonpublic information about the company.

IF016.001Misuse of a Corporate Card

A subject may misuse a corporate credit for their own benefit by making purchases that are not aligned with the intended purpose of the card or by failing to follow the policies and procedures governing its use.

IF016.005Modification of Invoices

A subject with access to a billing system or indirect access to a billing system misuses their access to modify existing invoices, causing payments to be diverted to themselves, a business they own, or a third party.

IF016.002Unauthorized Bank Transfers

A subject misuses their direct or indirect access to dishonestly redirect funds to an account they control or to a third party.

Prevention

ID Name Description
PV028Corporate Card Spending Limits

Applying spending limits to corporate cards can control the amount of funds a subject could spend legitimately or illegitimately.

PV027Financial Approval Process

The financial approval process is a structured procedure used by organizations to review and authorize financial transactions. It includes segregation of duties, authorization levels, and documentation and audit trails to prevent financial abuse and ensure adherence to policies and budgets.

Detection

ID Name Description
DT019Chrome Browser History

Google's Chrome browser stores the history of accessed websites and files downloaded.

 

On Windows, this information is stored in the following location:

C:/Users/<Username>/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data/Default/

On macOS:

/Users/<Username>/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/

On Linux:

/home/<Username>/.config/google-chrome/Default/

 

Where /Default/ is referenced in the paths above, this is the default profile for Chrome, and can be replaced if a custom profile is used. In this location one database file is relevant, history.sqlite.
 

This database file can be opened in software such as DB Browser For SQLite. The ‘downloads’ and ‘urls’ tables are of immediate interest to understand recent activity within Chrome.

DT018Edge Browser History

Microsoft's Edge browser stores the history of accessed websites and files downloaded.

 

On Windows, this information is stored in the following location:

C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\

On macOS:

/Users/<Username>/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/

On Linux:

/home/<Username>/.config/microsoft-edge/Default/

 

Where /Default/ is referenced in the paths above, this is the default profile for Edge, and can be replaced if a custom profile is used. In this location one database file is relevant, history.sqlite.
 

This database file can be opened in software such as DB Browser For SQLite. The ‘downloads’ and ‘urls’ tables are of immediate interest to understand recent activity within Chrome.

DT067Financial Auditing

Financial auditing independently reviews financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance, detecting irregularities and evaluating internal controls. It protects against abuse by identifying fraud and deterring dishonest behavior through increased accountability.

DT017Firefox Browser History

Mozilla's Firefox browser stores the history of accessed websites.

 

On Windows, this information is stored in the following location:

C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile Name>\

On macOS:

/Users/<Username>/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile Name>/

On Linux:

/home/<Username>/.mozilla/firefox/<Profile Name>/

 

In this location two database files are relevant, places.sqlite (browser history and bookmarks) and favicons.sqlite (favicons for visited websites and bookmarks).
 

These database files can be opened in software such as DB Browser For SQLite.