Security Teams Recognize the Insider Threat—Few Can Get Ahead of It
Our survey of 635 security leaders reveals a wide gap between recognizing insider threats and having the tools, processes, and maturity to stop them before damage occurs.
%
say insider threats are as hard or harder to detect than external attacks
%
extensively integrate behavioral signals like HR and financial stress into detection
%
have mature predictive models to identify insider threats before damage occurs
Insider threats have grown into persistent, sophisticated risks, and most organizations remain underprepared to face them. Remote work and AI tools have moved the challenge from spotting isolated suspicious actions to reading human intent, pressure, and context before damage occurs. Many insider threat programs still run fragmented and reactive, tuned to technical indicators alone, so security teams miss the early signals that precede a breach.
Produced by Cybersecurity Insiders in partnership with Cogility, this research surveyed 635 CISOs and security professionals in early 2025 to see how leaders are handling these risks. Awareness runs high, yet practical readiness lags well behind it. The report lays out where programs fall short, why behavioral and contextual signals matter, and how a whole-person approach moves organizations from awareness to prevention.
