Insiders Run Rampant in Healthcare and Financial Services Industries

Most consumers don’t blink an eye when they’re asked to provide their social security number to a healthcare or banking professional. We place complete trust into the hands of these individuals, yet employees within financial services and healthcare industries perhaps are the most notorious for snooping and disclosing sensitive information. According to 600 hospital and healthcare executives recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute, over the last two years 40 percent of providers surveyed reported a breach due to insider snooping or sharing of information. And according to the Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 80 percent of all fraud is attributed to those who work within the lender or financial services businesses. It’s mind-boggling that organizations within the healthcare and financial services industries still don’t take even the most basic steps to protect the sensitive data of patients and customers. Sadly it seems time and again, legislation and government must get involved in order for there to be resolution. The pervasiveness of insider threats should serve as a wake-up call for companies that are still on the fence about investing in security solutions to secure the perimeters within. Privilege identity management, data security and leak prevention are "need to haves" in order to effectively mitigate the insider threat.