What Is Internal Nonhostile Structured Threat (INS Threat)?

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Internal Nonhostile Structured Threat (INS Threat): The 'Insiders' Who Can't Even Be Bothered to Pick Up a Hammer INS Threats: When you're not the enemy, you still pose a threat. INS is short for internal nonhostile structured threats. In other words, it's when individuals within an organization have physical access to network components that are not motivated to disrupt mission-critical operations but can do so by making common mistakes. These types of threats come in two primary forms: The first is the accidental threat. This employee has been given responsibility and access to networks or resources but needs to be adequately trained. The second is a malicious threat, where an employee intentionally causes harm due to actions, such as an employee who likes to play pranks on their coworkers by disabling computers from across the building. While this type of threat isn't active, it's still something that security professionals need to be aware of and prepared for. The INS threat is a threat that comes from the inside. Individuals executing INS threats are usually skilled and have tools to assist them in performing security-related functions. System administrators, network engineers, and programmers often fall into the INS threat category. INS threats differ from external ones because they originate within an organization or company's walls. They have often trusted employees whom their employers have given access to sensitive data or systems. Sometimes, their employer can identify these individuals as a potential threat before committing crimes or violating trust. The goal of an INS threat is to obtain valuable information for financial gain or military purposes. This information may include customer credit card numbers, personal details about employees or executives at a company, or even intellectual property like trade secrets or patents held by a firm in its product development pipeline.

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