A systems administrator was recently passed over for a promotion and has expressed significant resentment towards management. A security analyst is concerned the administrator might retaliate against the organization. Which of the following BEST describes the primary reason this employee poses a significant threat?
The employee can use social engineering techniques to deceive other users and escalate privileges.
The employee has privileged access and detailed knowledge of the organization's systems and potential vulnerabilities.
The employee is likely to collaborate with an organized crime group for financial gain.
The employee can physically damage network hardware in the data center without being detected.
The correct answer is that the employee has privileged access and detailed knowledge of the organization's systems and potential vulnerabilities. An insider threat, such as a disgruntled employee, is particularly dangerous because they operate from a position of trust and have authorized access to critical systems and data. Their familiarity with internal security measures, network architecture, and potential weaknesses allows them to bypass defenses that are typically designed to stop external attackers. While they might use social engineering or install unauthorized software, their direct, privileged access is the most significant and immediate threat. A motivation of revenge specifically increases the likelihood that they will leverage this knowledge and access to cause direct harm, such as sabotage or data destruction.
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