Which of the following is an example of an internal threat?

Which of the following is an example of an internal threat?

a) A delivery man is able to walk into a controlled area and steal a laptop.

b) A user accidentally deletes the new product designs.

c) A water pipe in the server room breaks.

d) A server backdoor allows an attacker on the internet to gain access to the intranet site.

Answer: b) A user accidentally deletes the new product designs.

This scenario can be considered an internal threat because it occurs due to the malicious action of an authorized user of the organization’s IT system who does not have malicious intent and accidentally exposes important information to security risks. Internal threats stem from individuals who possess access rights within an organization by the positions they hold. Herein, the inadvertent deletion of new product designs by a user might result in a loss of valuable assets such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights that can be determined to the competitive edge of the business organization. Such occurrences show the need to use effective measures like storage of data access control policies, and training of users among others to avoid various risks caused by human mistakes. External threats may be also present though they are not as dangerous as internal threats because the internal person already knows a lot and has access to many areas.