Insider Threats

by Matthew Bunn (Editor), Scott D. Sagan (Editor)

High-security organizations around the world face devastating threats from insiders—trusted employees with access to sensitive information, facilities, and materials. From Edward Snowden to the Fort Hood shooter to the theft of nuclear materials, the threat from insiders is on the front page and at the top of the policy agenda. Insider Threats offers detailed case studies of insider disasters across a range of different types of institutions, from biological research laboratories, to nuclear power plants, to the U.S. Army. Matthew Bunn and Scott D. Sagan outline cognitive and organizational biases that lead organizations to downplay the insider threat, and they synthesize "worst practices" from these past mistakes, offering lessons that will be valuable for any organization with high security and a lot to lose.

Insider threats pose dangers to anyone who handles information that is secret or proprietary, material that is highly valuable or hazardous, people who must be protected, or facilities that might be sabotaged. This is the first book to offer in-depth case studies across a range of industries and contexts, allowing entities such as nuclear facilities and casinos to learn from each other. It also offers an unprecedented analysis of terrorist thinking about using insiders to get fissile material or sabotage nuclear facilities.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2017

Reviews

[FP⚡️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially not worth reading, except for the final overview chapter by the editors on "worst practices" in dealing with insider threats. Weird collection of case studies that are meant to be demonstrably diverse but instead feel like a grab-bag. It's a shame, because my sense is that if they had focused more narrowly on nuclear-related incidents, this could have gotten deeper and more informative, since both editors are nuclear security experts. Almost all cases of known thefts of HEU or separated plutonium involved at least some form of insider assistance, according to Matt Bunn in multiple settings, but such cases were barely discussed at all.

The Austin Long chapter on green-on-blue violence in Afghanistan in 2011-2012 is interesting, but it doesn't feel like there are insights here that are particularly conclusive or transferrable to almost any security settings outside of conflict zones, and especially not any insider threats that primarily involve covert sabotage or theft. (The "Guardian Angel" policy, which seemed to be the single ISAF mitigation most responsible for causing the drop in green-on-blue violence in 2012, will hardly be useful to any normal organization not dealing with threats of violence in literal wartime contexts...)

Generally would recommend skipping this book (though it's not like there are many other great resources on insider threat mitigation, to my knowledge...)

[Shakaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a good intro to the subject I feel it does a disservice of just hinting at the possibilities rather than addressing them. This could have easily been shortened into a 50-page read with all the conclusions and reasons why still clearly stated.

Still good writing, while there are tangents each tangent is a good one which explores the subject more. Clearly proofread and worked on. Just wish the scope (with the information density would need a 2000 page book) was larger since it left me mostly unfulfilled.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was super hit or miss, in part because each chapter was written by a different author so each chapter had super different vibes.

[Viet Phuong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is very informative but not very well organized with an array of chapters that lack the necessary connection or a common narrative. Even the chapters themselves are unevenly written, with some strong in evidences but weak in theoretical framework, and vice versa. Still, this can serve as a wake-up call for officials working with nuclear security, as complacency is still pretty much prevalent in this field.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

This book should be of interest not only to those working in security, but to anyone managing employees in an organization. The implications of the lessons described would be substantial for the Catholic Church for example in combatting sexual abuse and financial corruption.