When the Insider Becomes the Threat - CrowdStrike Incident

CrowdStrike’s recent insider incident highlights a shift: insider risk is now a familiar pattern, not just an anomaly.

For decades, cybersecurity has been characterized by the image of the outsider - the anonymous figure in a dark hoodie, hacking away at a corporate firewall. Our strategies focused on keeping this intruder out, strengthening perimeters, and patching vulnerabilities before a stranger could exploit them.

But theCrowdStrike case shifts that narrative. In this case, the villain wasn’t a shadowy figure lurking on the dark web. It was an insider - someone with legitimate access - quietly feeding sensitive information, including internal screenshots, to an external hacker group.

The attack didn’t depend on a zero-day exploit or a brute-force credential attack. It entered through an open, authenticated door. It was authorized. Trusted.

The Shift: From Rare Edge Case to Recurring Pattern

Insider-driven incidents used to be seen as rare and unfortunate events—things you planned for on paper but didn’t expect to happen.

That’s no longer true.

Multiple forces are converging:

• Hybrid work has broadened access boundaries.
• SaaS sprawl has expanded the number of systems employees can access.
• Generative AI makes it easier to profit from stolen data.
• Economic pressure encourages sabotage, theft, or discreet cooperation with external actors.

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Insider risk hasn’t gone up because people have become less trustworthy.

It’s increased because the digital environment now makes insider activity easier, faster, quieter, and more valuable.

Why This Matters to the Business

Insider incidents account for a significant share of breaches and are among the most expensive to resolve, often costing millions when considering investigation, legal fees, downtime, and lost revenue. Beyond direct costs, organizations also face reputational damage, increased customer churn, and a loss of trust from partners and regulators when a breach involves an insider.

Research shows organizations often take weeks to detect and stop insider activity, allowing damage to quietly accumulate before leadership even realizes there is a problem. This is especially risky in sectors where sensitive customer data, intellectual property, or regulated information are vital to the business model.

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Identity Is the New Battlefield

The CrowdStrike incident highlights a global shift: the perimeter has disappeared, and identity has become the new frontline. Everything depends on how organizations define, monitor, and protect their digital identities. Behavioral analytics, just-in-time access, and zero-trust verification are no longer optional features - they are the backbone of modern cyber defense.

The failed breach wasn’t just a success story of detection; it served as a warning. Even the best tools can’t eliminate the risk of human deception or insider threats.The solution, therefore, isn’t just technological - it’s cultural.Organizations need to promote a shared sense of responsibility, transparency, and vigilance that extends beyond roles and clearance levels.

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What Executives Need to Do

For business and line leaders, the focus should be on governance, culture, and investment priorities, rather than on technical controls alone.

Key actions include:

•  Assign clear executive ownership for insider risk management, with regular board-level reporting and defined success metrics tied to business impact.
• Align policies and incentives so people can work efficiently without relying on“workarounds” that weaken security, a common cause of negligent insider incidents.
• IntegrateHR, Legal, and Security into one insider-threat program so that hiring, performance issues, departures, and access decisions are managed collaboratively, not in silos.

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Practical Policies for Business Teams

Business leaders can reduce insider risk through day‑to‑day management practices, not just technology spend. Consider:

• Role-based access and “need-to-know”: ensure teams only see the data they require and quickly update permissions when roles change, or people leave.
• Standardized tools and channels: discourage unauthorized apps and shadow IT by offering practical, secure options for file sharing and collaboration.
• Training and communication: highlight that most insider incidents are preventable mistakes and encourage early reporting of unusual behavior or misdirected data.

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What This Means for the Future

The insider threat is no longer just a theoretical item on a security roadmap - it’s the next stage of cyber risk. The CrowdStrike case acts as both a wake-up call and a guide: the new perimeter is identity, and the latest vulnerability is trust itself.

Defending against tomorrow’s attacks requires rethinking trust not as a static checkbox, but as a dynamic signal that must be continuously monitored, tested, and verified - every minute of every day.

If you’re unsure about your organization's resilience against insider threats, now is the moment to assess it. KendraCyber can assist in evaluating and enhancing your insider-risk posture. Reach out to us here or write to Ismail@kendracyber.com