What risk is associated with an insider threat?

An insider threat primarily refers to risks that arise from individuals within the organization who misuse their access to sensitive information or systems. This can involve actions such as stealing data, sabotaging systems, or otherwise compromising the integrity and confidentiality of information. Because these individuals already have legitimate access and knowledge of the organization's internal processes and systems, their actions can be particularly damaging and difficult to detect.

Insider threats can manifest due to various motivations, such as financial gain, personal grievances, or even negligence. The trust placed in these individuals makes their potential for harm significant and underscores the importance of having solid security measures and controls in place to monitor for and mitigate these risks.

In contrast, other options like external attacks or automatic systems data deletion do not fall under the category of insider threats, as they do not involve the misuse of access by trusted individuals within the organization. Unauthorized password sharing, while a concern related to security, is typically more about security policy violations rather than the systematic threat posed by insiders who maliciously exploit their access intentionally.