End-User Security Awareness Training

A subject intentionally provides system or data access to a third party that is not authorized to access it.

A subject can mount and write to removable media.

The subject does not have a threatening motive. However, the subject under takes actions without due care and attention to the outcome, which causes an infringement.

A subject deceptively manipulates and/or persuades others in order to gain access to devices, systems or services that hold sensitive information, or to otherwise cause harm or undermine a target organization.

A subject uses organizational resources, such as internet access, email, or work devices, for personal activities both during and outside work hours, exceeding reasonable personal use. This leads to reduced productivity, increased security risks, and the potential mixing of personal and organizational data, ultimately affecting the organization’s efficiency and overall security.

A subject, motivated solely by personal curiosity, may take actions that unintentionally cause or risk harm to an organization. For example, they might install unauthorized software to experiment with its features or explore a network-attached storage (NAS) device without proper authorization.

A subject, driven by excessive pride in their nation, country, or region, undertakes actions that harm an organization. These actions are self-initiated and conducted unilaterally, without instruction or influence from legitimate authorities within their nation, country, region, or any other third party. The subject often perceives their actions as acts of loyalty or as benefiting their homeland.

While the subject may believe they are acting in their nation’s best interest, their actions frequently lack strategic foresight and can result in significant damage to the organization.

An individual or individuals knowingly assist a subject to gain access to devices, systems, or services that hold sensitive information, or otherwise contravene internal policies.

Sensitivity label leakage refers to the exposure or misuse of classification metadata—such as Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MIP) sensitivity labels—through which information about the nature, importance, or confidentiality of a file is unintentionally or deliberately disclosed. While the underlying content of the document may remain encrypted or otherwise protected, the presence and visibility of sensitivity labels alone can reveal valuable contextual information to an insider.

This form of leakage typically occurs when files labeled with sensitivity metadata are transferred to insecure locations, shared with unauthorized parties, or surfaced in logs, file properties, or collaboration tool interfaces. Labels may also be leaked through misconfigured APIs, email headers, or third-party integrations that inadvertently expose metadata fields. The leakage of sensitivity labels can help a malicious insider identify and prioritize high-value targets or navigate internal systems with greater precision, without needing immediate access to the protected content.

Examples of Use:

• An insider accesses file properties on a shared drive to identify documents labeled Highly Confidential with the intention of exfiltrating them later.
• Sensitivity labels are exposed in outbound email headers or logs, revealing the internal classification of attached files.
• Files copied to an unmanaged device retain their label metadata, inadvertently disclosing sensitivity levels if examined later.

A subject may be motivated by personal, financial, or professional interests that directly conflict with their duties and obligations to the organization. This inherent conflict of interest can lead the subject to engage in actions that compromise the organization’s values, objectives, or legal standing.

For instance, a subject who serves as a senior procurement officer at a company may have a financial stake in a vendor company that is bidding for a contract. Despite knowing that the vendor's offer is subpar or overpriced, the subject might influence the decision-making process to favor that vendor, as it directly benefits their personal financial interests. This conflict of interest could lead to awarding the contract in a way that harms the organization, such as incurring higher costs, receiving lower-quality goods or services, or violating anti-corruption regulations.

The presence of a conflict of interest can create a situation where the subject makes decisions that intentionally or unintentionally harm the organization, such as promoting anti-competitive actions, distorting market outcomes, or violating regulatory frameworks. While the subject’s actions may be hidden behind professional duties, the conflict itself acts as the driving force behind unethical or illegal behavior. These infringements can have far-reaching consequences, including legal ramifications, financial penalties, and damage to the organization’s reputation.

A subject holds access to both physical and digital assets that can enable insider activity. This includes systems such as databases, cloud platforms, and internal applications, as well as physical environments like secure office spaces, data centers, or research facilities. When a subject has access to sensitive data or systems—especially with broad or elevated privileges—they present an increased risk of unauthorized activity.

Subjects in roles with administrative rights, technical responsibilities, or senior authority often have the ability to bypass controls, retrieve restricted information, or operate in areas with limited oversight. Even standard user access, if misused, can facilitate data exfiltration, manipulation, or operational disruption. Weak access controls—such as excessive permissions, lack of segmentation, shared credentials, or infrequent reviews—further compound this risk by enabling subjects to exploit access paths that should otherwise be limited or monitored.

Furthermore, subjects with privileged or strategic access may be more likely to be targeted for recruitment by external parties to exploit their position. This can include coercion, bribery, or social engineering designed to turn a trusted insider into an active participant in malicious activities.

A subject tansports physical documents outside of the control of the organization.

A subject can mount and write to a USB mass storage device.

A subject can mount and write to an SD card, either directly from the system, or through a USB connector.

A subject can mount and write to disc media including, CD-R, DVD and Blu-ray discs.

A subject can access personal webmail services in a browser.

A subject can access personal cloud storage in a browser.

A subject can access websites containing inappropriate content.

A subject can access external note-taking websites (Such as Evernote).

A subject can access external messenger web-applications with the ability to transmit data and/or files.

A third party deceptively manipulates and/or persuades a subject to divulge information, or gain access to devices or systems, or to otherwise cause harm or undermine a target organization.

A subject can access external text storage websites, such as Pastebin.

PII (Personally Identifiable Information) leakage refers to the unauthorized disclosure, exposure, or mishandling of information that can be used to identify an individual, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, national identification numbers, financial data, or biometric records. In the context of insider threat, PII leakage may occur through negligence, misconfiguration, policy violations, or malicious intent.

Insiders may leak PII by sending unencrypted spreadsheets via email, exporting user records from customer databases, misusing access to HR systems, or storing sensitive personal data in unsecured locations (e.g., shared drives or cloud storage without proper access controls). In some cases, PII may be leaked unintentionally through logs, collaboration platforms, or default settings that fail to mask sensitive fields.

The consequences of PII leakage can be severe—impacting individuals through identity theft or financial fraud, and exposing organizations to legal penalties, reputational harm, and regulatory sanctions under frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA.

Examples of Infringement:

• An employee downloads and shares a list of customer contact details without authorization.
• PII is inadvertently exposed in error logs or email footers shared externally.
• HR data containing employee National Insurance or Social Security numbers is copied to a personal cloud storage account.

Export violations occur when a subject engages in the unauthorized transfer of controlled goods, software, technology, or technical data to foreign persons or destinations, in breach of applicable export control laws and regulations. These laws are designed to protect national security, economic interests, and international agreements by restricting the dissemination of sensitive materials and know-how.

Such violations often involve the failure to obtain the necessary export licenses, misclassification of export-controlled items, or the improper handling of technical data subject to regulatory oversight. The relevant legal frameworks may include the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and similar export control regimes in other jurisdictions.

Insiders may contribute to export violations by sending restricted files abroad, sharing controlled technical specifications with foreign nationals (even within the same organization), or circumventing export controls through the use of unauthorized communication channels or cloud services. These actions are considered violations regardless of the recipient’s sanction status and may occur entirely within legal jurisdictions if export-controlled information is shared with unauthorized individuals.

Export violations are distinct from sanction violations in that they pertain specifically to the nature of the goods, data, or services exported, and the mechanism of transfer, rather than the status of the recipient.

Failure to comply with export control laws can result in civil and criminal penalties, loss of export privileges, and reputational damage to the organization.

A subject with access to customer data holds the ability to view, retrieve, or manipulate personally identifiable information (PII), account details, transactional records, or support communications. This level of access is common in roles such as customer service, technical support, sales, marketing, and IT administration.

Access to customer data can become a means of insider activity when misused for purposes such as identity theft, fraud, data exfiltration, competitive intelligence, or unauthorized profiling. The sensitivity and volume of customer information available may significantly elevate the risk profile of the subject, especially when this access is unmonitored, overly broad, or lacks audit controls.

In some cases, subjects with customer data access may also be targeted by external threat actors for coercion or recruitment, given their ability to obtain regulated or high-value personal information. Organizations must consider how customer data is segmented, logged, and monitored to reduce exposure and detect misuse.

Subjects with access to production and pre-production environments—whether as users, developers, or administrators—hold the potential to exploit or compromise highly sensitive organizational assets. Production environments, which host live applications and databases, are critical to business operations and often contain real-time data, including proprietary business information and personally identifiable information (PII). A subject with access to these systems can manipulate operational processes, exfiltrate sensitive data, introduce malicious code, or degrade system performance.

Pre-production environments, used for testing, staging, and development, often replicate production systems, though they may contain anonymized or less protected data. Despite this, pre-production environments can still house sensitive configurations, APIs, and testing data that can be exploited. A subject with access to these environments may uncover system vulnerabilities, access sensitive credentials, or introduce code that could be escalated into the production environment.

In both environments, privileged access provides a direct pathway to the underlying infrastructure, system configurations, logs, and application code. For example, administrative access allows manipulation of security policies, user permissions, and system-level access controls. Similarly, access to development environments can provide insights into source code, configuration management, and test data—all of which could be leveraged to further insider activity.

Subjects with privileged access to critical environments are positioned not only to exploit system vulnerabilities or bypass security controls but also to become targets for recruitment by external actors seeking unauthorized access to sensitive information. These individuals may be approached or coerced to intentionally compromise the environment, escalate privileges, or exfiltrate data on behalf of malicious third parties.

Given the sensitivity of these environments, subjects with privileged access represent a significant insider threat to the integrity of the organization's systems and data. Their position allows them to manipulate or exfiltrate sensitive information, either independently or in collaboration with external actors. The risk is further amplified as these individuals may be vulnerable to recruitment or coercion, making them potential participants in malicious activities that compromise organizational security. As insiders, their knowledge and access make them a critical point of concern for both data protection and operational security.

Subjects with authorized access to sensitive physical spaces—such as secure offices, executive areas, data centers, SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities), R&D labs, or restricted zones in critical infrastructure—pose an increased insider threat due to their physical proximity to sensitive assets, systems, and information.

Such spaces often contain high-value materials or information, including printed sensitive documents, whiteboard plans, authentication devices (e.g., smartcards or tokens), and unattended workstations. A subject with physical presence in these locations may observe confidential conversations, access sensitive output, or physically interact with devices outside of typical security monitoring.

This type of access can be leveraged to:

• Obtain unattended or discarded sensitive information, such as printouts, notes, or credentials left on desks.
• Observe operational activity or decision-making, gaining insight into projects, personnel, or internal dynamics.
• Access unlocked devices or improperly secured terminals, allowing direct system interaction or credential harvesting.
• Bypass digital controls via physical means, such as tailgating into secure spaces or using misappropriated access cards.
• Covertly install or remove equipment, such as data exfiltration tools, recording devices, or physical implants.
• Eavesdrop on confidential conversations, either directly or through concealed recording equipment, enabling the collection of sensitive verbal disclosures, strategic discussions, or authentication procedures.

Subjects in roles that involve frequent presence in sensitive locations—such as cleaning staff, security personnel, on-site engineers, or facility contractors—may operate outside the scope of standard digital access control and may not be fully visible to security teams focused on network activity.

Importantly, individuals with this kind of access are also potential targets for recruitment or coercion by external threat actors seeking insider assistance. The ability to physically access secure environments and passively gather high-value information makes them attractive assets in coordinated attempts to obtain or compromise protected information.

The risk is magnified in organizations lacking comprehensive physical access policies, surveillance, or cross-referencing of physical and digital access activity. When unmonitored, physical access can provide a silent pathway to support insider operations without leaving traditional digital footprints.

A subject’s placement within critical business units or specialized teams can grant them access to highly sensitive operational data, strategic initiatives, and proprietary information. Roles within departments such as executive leadership, corporate strategy, legal, finance, R&D, supply chain management, and security operations position the subject to interact with confidential communications, forward-looking business plans, and strategic decision-making processes.

Subjects in close proximity to organizational leadership—including C-suite executives, senior directors, or key decision-makers—are uniquely positioned to access sensitive insights, manipulate decision-making, or gather intelligence on high-stakes initiatives. These individuals may be exposed to:

• Privileged communications such as internal memos, executive briefings, and strategic planning documents that are typically restricted.
• Pre-decisional data, including merger and acquisition strategies, product development pipelines, and market positioning strategies.
• Strategic operational plans outlining organizational direction, key resource allocation, and long-term goals.

Having direct or indirect access to leaders facilitates eavesdropping on confidential conversations and provides early awareness of business initiatives. This proximity allows the subject to assess organizational vulnerabilities or identify high-value targets for insider exploitation. Furthermore, the subject may be positioned to:

• Influence decision-making through the selective manipulation of information presented to decision-makers. This could include distorting risk profiles or promoting particular courses of action that align with their objectives.
• Shape the outcome of high-value transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships by influencing the information executives receive or the strategies they adopt.
• Alter project and resource prioritization by subtly steering leadership towards certain initiatives, products, or investments.
• Impact compliance and risk management practices, potentially distorting organizational responses to regulatory requirements or operational risks.

Subjects in such positions hold considerable power to shape business outcomes—both through direct influence over strategic initiatives and by gaining early insights into organizational direction, which can be exploited for personal gain, external manipulation, or other malicious intents.

Additionally, such individuals may become targets for recruitment by external entities seeking to exploit their access to confidential business data or influence over strategic decisions. Their proximity to leadership and critical business functions makes them an ideal conduit for conducting insider threats on behalf of external adversaries.

A subject with a people management role holds significant influence over their direct reports, which can be leveraged to conduct insider activities. As a leader, the subject is in a unique position to shape team dynamics, direct tasks, and control the flow of information within their team. This authority presents several risks, as the subject may:

• Influence team members to inadvertently or deliberately carry out tasks that contribute to the subject’s insider objectives. For instance, a manager might ask a subordinate to access or move sensitive data under the guise of a legitimate business need or direct them to work on projects that will inadvertently support a malicious agenda.
• Exert pressure on employees to bypass security protocols, disregard organizational policies, or perform actions that could compromise the organization’s integrity. For example, a manager might encourage their team to take shortcuts in security or compliance checks to meet deadlines or targets.
• Control access to sensitive information, either by virtue of the manager’s role or through the information shared within their team. A people manager may have direct visibility into highly sensitive internal communications, strategic plans, and confidential projects, which can be leveraged for malicious purposes.
• Isolate team members or limit their exposure to security training, potentially creating vulnerabilities within the team that could be exploited. By controlling the flow of information or limiting access to security awareness resources, a manager can enable an environment conducive to insider threats.
• Recruit or hire individuals within their team or external candidates who are susceptible to manipulation or willing to participate in insider activities. A subject in a management role could use their hiring influence to bring in new team members who align with or are manipulated into assisting in the subject's illicit plans, increasing the risk of coordinated insider actions.

In addition to these immediate risks, subjects in people management roles may also have the ability to recruit individuals from their team for insider activities, subtly influencing them to support illicit actions or help cover up their activities. By fostering a sense of loyalty or manipulating interpersonal relationships, the subject may encourage compliance with unethical actions, making it more difficult for others to detect or challenge the behavior.

Given the central role that managers play in shaping team culture and operational practices, the risks posed by a subject in a management position are compounded by their ability to both directly influence the behavior of others and manipulate processes for personal or malicious gain.