Why the Start of the Year Is Prime Time for Insider Risk - eSecurity Planet

facebook linkedin x NEWSLETTER BEST PRODUCTS RESOURCES NETWORKS CLOUD THREATS TRENDS ENDPOINT APPLICATIONS COMPLIANCE THREATS SHARE Why the Start of the Year Is Prime Time for Insider Risk  As workforce transitions accelerate, identity becomes the primary attack surface, increasing insider risk. WRITTEN BY KEN UNDERHILL JAN 12, 2026 eSecurity Planet content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More The start of a new year may signal fresh beginnings, but for security teams, it often marks a period of heightened insider risk.  Workforce transitions accelerate as employees depart for new roles, internal teams reorganize, and others quietly explore their next opportunity.  These shifts can create security blind spots if identity, access, and data controls are not carefully managed — and attackers are increasingly ready to exploit them. “The new year is an opportunity to reset access, trust, and accountability,” said Rob Gregory, CISO at Optiv. He added, “Organizations that proactively manage identity and insider risk during periods of transition are far better positioned to prevent both internal misuse and external compromise.” Identity Is the New Perimeter Insider risk is no longer limited to the stereotypical malicious employee. Today, identity has effectively become the new perimeter.  Cybercriminals actively target valid credentials through phishing, social engineering, and access brokers, then use them to blend in as trusted insiders.  Dormant accounts, overprivileged users, and outdated permissions provide an ideal launchpad for these attacks, allowing adversaries to bypass traditional defenses entirely. The beginning of the year amplifies this risk. Employees who leave at year-end may retain access longer than intended, while internal role changes can result in users accumulating permissions over time.  Without consistent oversight, organizations unintentionally expand their attack surface during a period when adversaries are actively looking for weak points. ADVERTISEMENT How Access Sprawl Enables Attacks A common example of insider risk is delayed deprovisioning. If an employee exits on Dec. 31 but their access is not fully revoked until days later, their credentials remain valid and exploitable.  Even when there is no malicious intent, lingering access can be abused by external actors who obtain those credentials through unrelated means. Role changes introduce similar challenges. Employees who move laterally or into new positions often retain access from previous roles “just in case.”  Over time, this access sprawl violates least-privilege principles and increases the likelihood that sensitive systems or data are exposed unnecessarily. Attackers take advantage of these conditions by masquerading as legitimate users.  With valid credentials, they can move laterally, access sensitive data, and evade detection longer than traditional malware-based attacks.  Because the activity appears authorized, it often goes unnoticed until significant damage has already occurred. ADVERTISEMENT How to Reduce Insider Risk To reduce insider risk — especially during periods of workforce transition — security leaders should focus on a combination of identity hygiene, visibility, monitoring, and culture. Maintain visibility into sensitive data: Know where critical data lives, who can access it, and why that access is required. Continuously monitor high-value assets: Monitor sensitive systems and data to quickly detect misuse or anomalous activity. Ensure immediate offboarding: Revoke all access immediately when employees leave to prevent lingering credential risk. Right-size access during role changes: Update permissions as roles change to ensure access matches current responsibilities. Monitor for behavioral risk signals: Watch for unusual activity that may indicate insider misuse or compromised credentials. Strengthen cyber resilience through culture: Reinforce security awareness and encourage safe reporting of suspicious behavior. Regularly reassess controls and policies: Review identity and access controls regularly to ensure they remain accurate and effective. In combination, these controls strengthen identity governance and reduce misuse risk. ADVERTISEMENT Resetting Access to Reduce Risk As the year begins, insider risk should be treated as an operational certainty rather than an edge case.  Organizations that use this period to reset access, tighten identity controls, and reinforce accountability can significantly reduce exposure before small gaps turn into major incidents.  Proactive identity hygiene now helps ensure that trust is intentional, access is earned, and risk is managed — rather than inherited — throughout the year ahead. These principles align with zero-trust approaches, which remove implicit trust and continuously verify access to limit insider and credential-based risk. KEN UNDERHILL Ken Underhill is an award-winning cybersecurity professional, bestselling author, and seasoned IT professional. He holds a graduate degree in cybersecurity and information assurance from Western Governors University and brings years of hands-on experience to the field. RECOMMENDED FOR YOU... ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI Email Summaries Create a New Phishing Attack Surface Researchers found that hidden email instructions can manipulate Microsoft Copilot summaries to insert phishing-style alerts. KEN UNDERHILL MAR 16, 2026 THREATS Microsoft Issues Hotpatch for Windows 11 RRAS RCE Bugs Microsoft released an emergency hotpatch for Windows 11 to fix critical RRAS remote code execution flaws. KEN UNDERHILL MAR 16, 2026 THREATS AiLock Ransomware Claims England Hockey Data Breach England Hockey is investigating a potential cyberattack claimed by the AiLock ransomware group. 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