From Insight to Action: Five Priorities for Detecting and Deterring Insider Threats

As the cost and prevalence of insider threats continues to rise, organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for a more proactive and comprehensive approach to managing insider risk. The 2025 Ponemon Cost of Insider Risks Global Report highlights that the average annual cost of insider threats now stands at $17.4 million, up from $16.2 million in 2023, largely due to increased spending on containment and incident response. While these numbers underscore the continued challenges posed by insider threats, the report also reveals significant progress, with increased adoption in insider risk management resulting in time, money, and data savings.

As DTEX CEO and an advocate for customer success, I have seen firsthand how organizations are making strides. Our Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) Study revealed that DTEX customers are realizing substantial benefits, including $3.29 million in tech stack savings over three years, as well as a 75% reduction in insider threat investigation time due to unified, real-time visibility. These findings underscore the importance of taking action to detect and deter risks in ways that optimize resources and reduce complexity in security operations.

Drawing from the latest research, including both the Ponemon and Forrester TEI reports, here are five critical priorities that can help organizations not only detect and deter insider threats but also enhance the overall security posture, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.

1. Prioritize Proactive Risk Detection Using Behavioral Science

The Ponemon report reveals that organizations are still spending significantly more on containment than on prevention—$211,021 per insider incident for containment, compared to just $37,756 for monitoring. It also highlights that incidents contained within 31 days cost about half as much ($10.6M) as those that take longer than 91 days to contain ($18.7M). Additionally, 65% of companies with an insider risk management program report that their program was the only security strategy enabling them to pre-empt an incident through early risk detection. These findings underscore the critical importance of early detection in mitigating the costs and damage caused by insider threats. 

An effective insider risk management program – supported by the right organizational buy-in, people, processes, and technology – can help identify early warning indicators of insider risks, enabling organizations to prevent incidents before they occur.

Importantly, early insider risk detection goes beyond simply monitoring for data exfiltration—organizations must use behavioral science to understand and identify early warning signs of risky human behavior. By combining real-time data with behavioral insights, the DTEX InTERCEPT™ provides a more nuanced understanding of risk, integrating psychological and organizational factors that may indicate potential threats or the increased likelihood of a risk becoming a threat. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the accuracy of insider risk detection but also reduces false positives, creating a culture of prevention where incidents are addressed before they cause significant harm.

2. Embrace Technology Consolidation for Operational Efficiency

A fragmented approach to security, where different departments use separate tools for data loss prevention (DLP), user activity monitoring (UAM), and user entity behavior analytics (UEBA), adds complexity and inefficiency. Nearly 49% of companies surveyed in the Ponemon report agree that consolidating these tools is critical to reduce complexity, increase cost savings, improve data insights, and accelerate detection.

DTEX InTERCEPT combines Behavioral DLP, UAM, and UEBA into a unified platform, enabling proactive insider risk management at scale. This integration reduces complexity, improves visibility, and enhances security while also driving cost savings and operational efficiencies.

The Forrester TEI study highlights these benefits, showing that DTEX customers saved $3.29 million over three years by retiring legacy solutions. Consolidating these capabilities simplifies security operations and accelerates detection and response, making it easier to manage insider risks across the organization.

3. Harness the Power of Artificial Intelligence

AI is revolutionizing every industry, and insider risk management is no exception. Over half of companies surveyed in the Ponemon report are already using AI to help detect and prevent insider threats, and this trend is only growing. AI helps automate threat detection, prioritize risks, accelerate investigations, and reduce complexity—improving response times and reducing the burden on overworked security teams.

In our Forrester TEI study, organizations using DTEX’s AI functionality saw a 75% reduction in insider threat investigation time. And don’t forget—the difference between containment within 31 days costs about half as much ($10.6M) as those that take longer than 91 days to contain ($18.7M). In other words, reducing insider threat investigation time equates to millions of dollars in savings every year. 

This rapid analysis allows teams to quickly identify, investigate, and address risks, significantly improving efficiency. AI not only speeds up the detection process but also democratizes data analysis, making it easier for analysts to make informed decisions, regardless of their skill level.

4. Foster Organizational Alignment on Insider Risk Management

An aligned executive team is essential for effectively managing insider risk. When security, HR, legal, and business leaders operate in silos, investigations become fragmented, slowing response times and increasing risk exposure. A well-coordinated leadership team streamlines insider risk detection, investigation, and remediation by ensuring clear communication, rapid decision-making, and cohesive enforcement of security policies.

Alignment also helps overcome common barriers to insider risk program adoption, such as budget constraints and executive skepticism. When leaders collectively understand the business impact of insider incidents—including financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory consequences—they are more likely to support and fund proactive risk management initiatives. This shared responsibility fosters a culture of security that balances trust with accountability, enabling organizations to detect, deter, and respond to insider threats more effectively while maintaining a positive and productive work environment.

5. Create a Culture of Security and Awareness

Finally, creating a culture of security awareness is crucial. From executive leadership to front-line employees, everyone in the organization must be aligned on the importance of insider risk management. Regular training and awareness programs are essential to ensuring that employees recognize the signs of potential insider threats and understand their role in preventing them.

Organizations that prioritize security awareness see better results in managing insider risks. A well-informed workforce is more likely to adhere to security protocols and report suspicious activity, ultimately reducing the likelihood of insider breaches.

Conclusion: Turning Insights into Action

The opportunity to transform insider risk management is clear. As organizations continue to invest in early detection, AI-driven tools, and consolidated solutions that scale, they can move from reactive containment to early insider risk detection and deterrence, inching closer to breach prevention. This is the “holy grail” in any business risk strategy – deter or prevent a risk from turning into an incident. The Ponemon and Forrester TEI reports provide valuable insights into how companies can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance the effectiveness of their security programs.

Now is the time to build on the progress made, streamline operations, and ensure that every dollar invested in security delivers maximum value. By focusing on these five priorities, executives can create a more secure, resilient organization that is better equipped to detect and deter insider risks before they escalate into costly breaches. The more comprehensive an insider risk management program, the more organizations can excel with their trusted and protected workforce.

In an era where insider risks are more complex and consequential than ever, organizations need a smarter, more proactive approach to protecting their most critical data. By unifying data loss prevention, user activity monitoring, and behavior analytics in a single, lightweight platform, DTEX InTERCEPT™ is helping governments and enterprises worldwide stay ahead of emerging threats—with privacy at the core. Now is the time to rethink insider risk management and embrace solutions that empower security teams with the visibility and intelligence they need to protect what matters most.