A twitter friend (twried?) @suggmeister asked whether anyone knew a percentage possibility of the number of employees who may pose an insider threat.
Come to think of it, he was probably completing a risk assessment form and wanted a quick and dirty response so he could fill out the form as quickly as possible and move on with the rest of his day.
But like many things it sparked off a variety of comments and discussion. I helpfully pitched in with my “I don’t trust anybody” sentiment which was echoed by a couple of others. I saw someone give a figure of ‘under 5%’.
The science behind not trusting anyone is really based upon what I call the stationary cupboard test. You see, a cashier would just love to dip into the till and grab a wad of used tenner’s every day. But they know that with numerous controls in place they wouldn’t get very far.
However, your typical stationary cupboard generally lacks such sophisticated controls. Which is why you never ever see anyone take just one pen. They reach out and grab a handful of pens. Then with their other hand they’ll grab a bunch of post-its, balance it all on a year planner diary, have a few pencils under their chin and an assortment of highlighters in their pocket.
So in conclusion, this scientific observation proves that without the fear of getting caught, people will take liberties with their employer.
If you don’t believe me… don’t leave a comment bashing my views. Simply put a few piles of money in the stationary cupboard and see if any of it remains till the end of the day.
Javvad Malik 