Unlike external attacks that try to break in, insider threats come from employees, contractors, or compromised accounts that already have access. These unique features make them significantly harder to detect and more damaging when they go unnoticed. Malicious actors and disgruntled employees can easily glide under the radar until it's too late.
IBM Security’s 2024 report revealed that 83% of companies had faced insider threats in just the past year alone. Some incidents are intentional, like a disgruntled employee stealing data, while others happen by accident, such as an employee clicking on a phishing email or mishandling sensitive files. Industries like finance, healthcare, and technology are especially at risk because they deal with large amounts of confidential information.
Businesses like yours need robust insider threat detection software to reduce these risks. These tools help identify suspicious behavior, prevent data leaks, and respond to threats before they escalate into disasters.
What is insider threat detection software?
Insider threat detection tools monitor unusual or unauthorized behavior by employees, contractors, and other individuals with legitimate access to a company's networks, systems, and data. The type of behavior monitored can include:
Data exfiltration: Copying, uploading, emailing sensitive data
Privilege escalation: Gaining unauthorized access to higher-level accounts
Credential misuse: Sharing or stealing login credentials
Unusual access patterns: Logging in at odd hours, from unusual locations
Policy violations: Circumventing security protocols
Communication anomalies: Unusual emails, or messaging patterns
Key Features of Insider Threat Detection Tools
Uses machine learning to detect suspicious activity by analyzing patterns across users, devices, and applications.
Monitors, prevents, and controls the unauthorized transfer of sensitive data across endpoints, cloud services, and communication channels.
Tracks deviations from normal user behavior to identify potential security risks.
Provides real-time alerts and, in some cases, automates responses such as account suspension, file access revocation, or data quarantining.
Types of Insider Threat Detection Software
Insider threat detection software falls into several categories:
Insider Threat Management (ITM): Monitors user activity, analyzes behavioral patterns, and detects unauthorized data access or movement.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Aggregates logs and monitors real-time activity for threat detection.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Focuses on detecting suspicious activity on devices and workstations.
Log Management Solutions: Collects and analyzes system logs to detect unauthorized actions.
Security Automation Tools: Automates security monitoring and incident response.
Benefits of Insider Threat Detection Software
Using an insider threat detection tool provides multiple advantages:
Identifies insider threats before they escalate, meaning proactive web application security.
Prevents data breaches and unauthorized access.
Meet regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.
Reduces response times with real-time alerts and mitigation actions.
Logs activities to trace and analyze security incidents.
Top Insider Threat Detection Software
Proofpoint Insider Threat Management is a real-time monitoring solution that helps detect data exfiltration and insider threats before they escalate. It provides behavioral analytics and automated risk assessments to spot anomalies and prevent unauthorized access.
Main Features:
Real-time Monitoring: Tracks user behavior and detects suspicious activities in real-time.
Data Exfiltration Detection: Identifies unauthorized file transfers via email, USB, or cloud storage.
Behavioral Analytics: Machine learning is used to create user behavior baselines and spot anomalies.
Incident Investigation Tools: Provides forensic analysis capabilities to assess and respond to threats.
Best For: Data-centric insider threat detection.
Price: By inquiry.
2. open-appsec
open-appsec is a web application firewall (WAF) designed to block insider and external threats proactively. It uses machine learning to detect anomalies in real time without relying on signatures.
Main Features:
Prevents OWASP Top 10 & Zero-Day Threats: Protects against SQL injection, XSS, Log4Shell, and more.
ML-Powered Anomaly Detection: Identifies malicious requests based on deviations in normal traffic behavior.
Low False Positives: Ensures accurate threat prevention without blocking legitimate requests.
Cloud-Native Compatibility: Works seamlessly with Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, and Azure.
Anti-Bot Protection: Detects and blocks automated attacks before they cause damage.
Best For: DevOps and security teams needing an AI-driven, cloud-native security solution, requiring open-source web application and API protection.
Price: Free & open-source (Enterprise support available).
Forcepoint Insider Threat is a user activity monitoring and risk detection solution that helps organizations prevent data breaches and insider cyber threats. It combines rule-based policies and AI-driven UEBA to detect unusual user activities, such as unauthorized data access, file transfers, and privilege escalations.
Main Features:
AI-Powered User Behavior Analytics (UBA): Identifies suspicious user activity patterns.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Blocks sensitive data transfers via USB, email, and cloud services.
Keystroke Logging and Screen Recording: Monitors high-risk activities in real time.
Automated Policy Enforcement: Restricts access based on risk levels.
Best For: Built-in risk scoring features.
Price: By inquiry.
4. Jit
Jit is a security automation platform that helps enforce security policies in code repositories and CI/CD environments. Jit’s goal is to help developers reduce the risk of misconfigurations and unauthorized changes.
Main Features:
Continuous Security Posture Management: Ensures security policies are enforced across the development pipeline.
Automated Security Policy Enforcement: Ensures compliance with security best practices in CI/CD environments.
Real-Time Alerts: Notifies teams about potential security violations or unauthorized code modifications.
Integration with DevOps Tools: Works seamlessly with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
Best For: DevSecOps teams needing automated security policy enforcement in CI/CD workflows.
Price: The Community plan is free. Paid plans start at $50 monthly.
5. Suridata
Suridata is a SaaS security platform that provides visibility into privilege abuse and compliance risks across cloud-based environments.
Main Features:
Access Monitoring: Tracks and audits user permissions to detect privilege abuse.
Automated Compliance Reports: Helps meet regulatory requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2.
Unauthorized Access Detection: Identifies users accessing sensitive data without permission.
Best For: SaaS-based businesses handling sensitive customer data.
Price: By inquiry.
Microsoft Purview provides comprehensive insider risk management tools for organizations using Microsoft 365 and Azure environments.
Main Features:
AI-Driven Risk Assessment: Uses machine learning models to detect anomalous behavior.
Microsoft 365 Integration: Monitors user and session activity across email, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
User Behavior Analytics (UBA): Flags high-risk employees based on behavioral indicators.
Best For: Integration with Microsoft 365 and the wider Microsoft ecosystem.
Price: By inquiry.
Rapid7 Insight IDR is a cloud-based SIEM solution that combines user behavior analytics, endpoint detection, and network monitoring.
Main Features:
User Behavior Analytics (UBA): Detects suspicious login patterns and lateral movement.
Endpoint & Network Monitoring: Tracks data flow and device activity.
Automated Incident Response: Enables quick remediation actions.
Best For: Log analysis and UEBA.
Price: By inquiry.
8. Teramind
Teramind is an insider threat management platform that helps organizations monitor user activity, detect risky behavior, and prevent data leaks.
Main Features:
Employee Activity Monitoring: Tracks user activity in real time.
Keystroke Logging & Screen Recording: Provides forensic evidence for security investigations.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies: Prevents unauthorized data transfers and file sharing.
Insider Risk Scoring: Assigns risk scores based on user behavior trends.
Best For: Visibility over employee productivity tracking.
Price: Starts at $14 per user/month.
Code42 Incydr is an enterprise-grade data loss protection (DLP) and insider threat detection tool. It helps organizations track and prevent file exfiltration by malicious or negligent insiders. Unlike traditional DLP tools, Incydr focuses on real-time visibility and quick remediation.
Main Features:
Real-Time Data Exfiltration Detection: Flags suspicious file movements across cloud, email, and USB storage.
Risk-Based Monitoring: Prioritizes threats based on data sensitivity and user risk level.
Incident Response & Automation: Quickly quarantines, investigates, and mitigates threats.
Seamless Integration: Works with SIEM, SOAR, and IAM solutions for enhanced security workflows.
Best For: Data loss prevention (DLP) with a focus on detecting and responding to data exfiltration events.
Price: By inquiry.
10. Veriato Cerebral
Veriato Cerebral is an AI-driven user activity monitoring and insider threat detection platform that helps organizations identify and respond to security risks.
Main Features:
User Activity Monitoring: Captures keystrokes, email content, web browsing, and file access.
Behavioral Analytics: Uses AI to detect anomalies and high-risk behavior.
Screen Recording & Forensic Investigation: Provides real-time and retrospective analysis of user activity.
Insider Risk Scoring: Assigns risk scores based on user behavior trends.
Automated Alerts & Incident Response: Notifies security teams of suspicious activities.
Best For: Employee monitoring features, such as recording and playback capabilities.
Price: By inquiry.
open-appsec is an open-source project that builds on machine learning to provide pre-emptive web app & API threat protection against OWASP Top 10 and zero-day attacks. It simplifies maintenance as there is no threat signature upkeep and exception handling, like common in many WAF solutions.
To learn more about how open-appsec works, see this White Paper and the in-depth Video Tutorial. You can also experiment with deployment in the free Playground.
