10 Recent Examples of How Insider Threats Can Cause Big Breaches and Damage

While external hackers pose an ever-present threat to enterprise environments, sometimes the biggest risks come from within. Insider threats cost large organizations an average of $17.92 million per year, according to the Ponemon Institute. Often these incidents, at the hands of trusted employees and partners, tend to involve not just personally identifiable information (PII), but some of the most sensitive data an organization produces and handles — secret recipes, sensitive financial information, and access to mission-critical infrastructure. The following are some recent, dramatic examples of how these risk dynamics play out, organized by industry.