EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As we observe National Insider Threat Awareness Month this September, the 412 Test Wing Information Protection team emphasizes our collective role in strengthening the Department of Defense's security against insider threats.
An insider threat is a current or former trusted person who, with authorized access to government information, facilities, or resources, acts in a way that could cause harm, either intentionally or unintentionally. This includes unauthorized disclosures of classified or confidential information, espionage, and even violent hostile events.
Our primary focus is on "early prevention" to stop these incidents before they cause damage. Key to this is a two-pronged approach:
- Cultivate a positive and resilient culture: Insider threats often arise from feelings of disgruntlement, stress, or perceived injustice. By creating a supportive environment and encouraging open communication, we can address employee concerns proactively and build a workforce less vulnerable to risky behaviors.
- Recognize and report warning signs: Everyone on the Test Wing is vital in detecting indicators that someone may be on the "critical pathway" to becoming a threat. Timely reporting enables our multidisciplinary team to intervene and provide assistance to those who may be struggling.
Detecting potentially malicious behavior among employees with access to classified or controlled sensitive information involves gathering information from many sources and analyzing that information for clues or behaviors of concern. In most cases, co-workers admit they noticed questionable activities but failed to report incidents because they did not recognize the pattern and did not want to get involved or cause problems for their co-workers. A single indicator may say little; however, if taken together with other indicators, a pattern of behavior may be evident.
Behavioral indicators include depression, stress in personal life, exploitable behavior traits such as use of alcohol or drugs and gambling, financial trouble, prior disciplinary issues.
Potential espionage indicators include repeated security violations and a general disregard for security rules, failure to report overseas travel or contact with foreign nationals when required to do so, seeking to gain higher clearance or expand access outside the job scope without bona fide need for the access, engaging in classified conversations without a need to know, attempting to enter areas not granted access to, working hours inconsistent with job assignment or unusual insistence on
working in private, accessing information not needed for job.
Additional suspicious behaviors include sudden reversal of financial situation or a sudden repayment of large debts or loans, being disgruntled to the point of wanting to
retaliate, repeated or unrequired work outside of normal duty hours, bringing an unauthorized electronic device into a controlled area, making threats to the safety of people or property. While not all of these behaviors are definitive indicators that the individual is an insider threat, reportable activities should be reported before it is too late. Through vigilance and reporting, we can protect our personnel and critical assets using appropriate mitigation measures.
Together, we work to deter, detect, and mitigate insider threats.
For questions or to report concerns, please contact the 412 Test Wing Counter Insider Threat Program liaison: Christine Dingman, 661-277-5476.