Identify Insider Threats | Behavior-based detection - Darktrace

10,000 Darktrace customers Insider threat trends Insiders don’t need to break in 76% of organizations reported insider attacks in 2024 Cybersecurity Insiders 90% of insider threats are harder to detect than external Cybersecurity Insiders Resource hijacking Insiders have been caught running unauthorized cryptocurrency mining operations within corporate environments, consuming IT resources and masking their activities Darktrace’s 2024 Threat Report Why Darktrace? When credentials are clean, behavior tells the real story Traditional security over-relies on binary trust rules. Darktrace AI takes a more nuanced approach, learning ‘normal’ for your business to detect and stop threats – inside and out Builds unique behavioral profiles Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI ingests live data from across your digital environment to continuously learn and adapt, developing an understanding of normal employee behavior Detects threats as they emerge Instead of relying on binary classifications like ‘malicious’ or ‘benign’ to detect threats, Darktrace’s AI looks for subtle anomalies in user and device activity that could indicate an insider threat security incident Responds in a targeted manner Darktrace provides customizable autonomous response capabilities across the attack lifecycle, from initial intrusion to C2 communication and data exfiltration Learn more about our AI Accelerate your investigations 10x Darktrace's Cyber AI Analyst finds connections between isolated events and surfaces full security incidents, prioritized and contextualized. It has saved security teams the equivalent of up to 50,000 hours of investigation time per year. Transform your SOC with AI Analyst From malicious intent to human error, stop the full spectrum of insider threats Insider threats already have access, making them difficult to spot with tools that use attack data to find threats. Darktrace understands what is normal for every user and network entity, detecting subtle anomalies and alerting you to malicious or threatening activity that deviates from normal Detect anomalous behavior Contain subtle signs of emerging attacks, including unusual connections, file downloads, logins, and new email rule creation Outbound email threats Protect against data loss from misdirected emails, malicious exfiltration, and account takeover with Darktrace / EMAIL Privileged access and lateral movement Track unusual escalations in access and detect when insiders move between systems in unexpected ways Slide 2 of 3. Stay ahead of cyber risks. See us in action Threat story: Insider threat How Darktrace detected an insider threat that other
tools missed Explore how Darktrace detected an insider threat by spotting a rogue device making RDP connections to a rare external host that evaded detection from the firewall system Initial compromise An employee at a large manufacturing company connected a personal device to the corporate network and initiated unauthorized RDP connections to a rare external host. The organization’s firewall had predefined rules to block outbound RDP, but the attacker bypassed these controls by changing the destination port. Darktrace’s AI detected the unusual activity and flagged the rogue device for investigation Rule evasion and data exfiltration By modifying the port used for RDP, the attacker circumvented firewall restrictions and maintained an active connection for over ten minutes. During this time, nearly 4MB of data was downloaded, representing a major deviation from normal network behavior. Darktrace identified this anomaly as a potential exfiltration attempt and escalated the alert Autonomous response Darktrace’s AI determined the activity was threatening enough to warrant an immediate response. It autonomously blocked all outgoing traffic from the rogue device for ten minutes, preventing further data loss and giving the security team time to investigate. This swift action stopped the unauthorized transfer before sensitive intellectual property could be exfiltrated Insider threat confirmed Upon investigation, the company discovered that the device belonged to an employee attempting to send valuable IP to a foreign competitor. Traditional security tools had failed to detect the threat due to their reliance on static rules, which the attacker had successfully bypassed. Darktrace’s AI-based approach, which learns ‘normal’ behavior rather than relying on predefined rules, was able to detect and neutralize the insider threat in real time Get ahead of insider threats with continuous assessment of your most risky assets, attack path modeling and attack simulations Discover proactive security Simulate potential insider attacks Darktrace attack engagements give teams the opportunity to test human risks with real phishing emails sent from internal accounts Identify largest human risks Understand cyber risk in an ongoing, real-world context that shows how attacks might progress and potential choke points in your people or technology See your most at risk users Discover your riskiest users and assets based on liability, access, and exposure, and then shore up defenses around them Go beyond simple patch lists Get prioritized mitigation steps paired with their potential risk outcomes, making it easier to take proactive steps toward greater resilience Over 267 reviews on Gartner Peer Insights 4.8 on Gartner Peer Insights Hear from our customers Darktrace named winner of Best Insider Threat Solution at the 2025 SC Awards From SC Media ©2025 CyberRisk Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved. Used under license. “The platform's AI-driven approach ensures that even the most subtle anomalies are identified quickly, allowing for immediate action.” IT Security & Risk Management Associate Insurance Read the full review here “Best tech in the business for identifying anomalous behavior on one's network. From demo to POV to deployment, Darktrace provides the best experience and protection.” Business Development Associate IT Services Read the full review here “An exceptional threat hunting product and has backed up the product with excellent implementation and ongoing support.” Director of IT Energy and Utilities Read the full review here “Darktrace made it possible to block the start of a cyberattack in less than 10 seconds!” IT Manager Healthcare and Biotech Read the full review here Slide 4 of 4. Recommended resources Dive deeper Explore our curated resources to gain deeper insights into the evolving landscape of insider threats and best practices for detection and response White paper Top 6 network security challenges Explore critical challenges to securing today’s modern, integrated networks and how security teams can stay compliant in today's landscape. Secure your network Solution brief Darktrace / NETWORK Learn how Darktrace enables continuous visibility, real-time investigation, and autonomous response to contain threats before damage is done. Download the solution brief Blog Insider threat truths This blog explores the growing risk of insider threats in OT environments, highlighting real-world examples and limitations of traditional detection methods. Detect hidden threats faster ActiveAI Security Platform Cybersecurity for your whole business‍ / NETWORK Go beyond NDR to achieve proactive security / EMAIL Cloud-native AI email security / CLOUD Secure your cloud in real time / OT Protect your converged IT/OT environments / IDENTITY Outsmart identity threats / ENDPOINT Every device, everywhere, all the time Insider threats Frequently asked questions Can Darktrace differentiate between malicious and accidental insider activity? Yes, Darktrace can differentiate between malicious and accidental insider activity using its Self-Learning AI. It builds a baseline understanding of normal user behavior, so when activity deviates from this pattern, it can identify potential threats.   Malicious Insider Threats: These often involve deliberate actions like data theft, sabotage, or unauthorized access for personal gain.   Accidental Insider Threats: These might include sending sensitive data to the wrong recipient or misconfiguring access controls due to negligence.   While Darktrace may not always determine intent directly, it can infer risk levels based on the nature, context, and severity of the anomaly. For example, a user suddenly accessing sensitive files before resigning might be flagged as higher risk than someone who accidentally shares a document. Darktrace’s Cyber AI Analyst runs continuous investigations on events, re-investigating existing alerts with emerging data to ensure thorough analysis. Each investigation produces detailed natural language summaries, providing security teams with clear decision logic and well-defined recommended actions to reduce false positives and speed up response efforts. So, while Darktrace doesn't label actions as "malicious" or "accidental" per se, it provides the context and risk assessment needed for security teams to make that judgment. How does Darktrace detect early signs of insider threats before data is exfiltrated or damage occurs? Darktrace detects early signs of insider threats by continuously monitoring network and user behavior. The AI learns what is normal for each user, device, and service. Any deviation, such as a user accessing sensitive files they do not normally interact with or sending unusual amounts of data, is flagged as suspicious. By identifying subtle signs of malicious intent, Darktrace can detect threats before significant damage occurs. Autonomous Response functions also allow Darktrace to take action depending on the severity of the event to stop data loss all together. How does Darktrace detect lateral movement or privilege escalation from internal users? Darktrace detects lateral movement or privilege escalation by monitoring patterns of behavior across the entire network. When an internal user attempts to move from one system or network segment to another, Darktrace can spot this lateral movement by analyzing unusual access patterns. Additionally, if a user’s privileges increase unexpectedly, such as gaining access to sensitive areas or systems they don’t typically use, Darktrace flags this behavior for investigation. How does Darktrace detect insider threats when employees use shadow IT or work remotely? Darktrace is particularly effective at detecting insider threats in remote or shadow IT environments by monitoring network traffic and user behavior across both authorized and unauthorized systems. Even if an employee uses unsanctioned devices or connects to unauthorized cloud services, Darktrace can track these activities by analyzing unusual access patterns. The AI can detect non-compliant behaviors such as connecting to unauthorized apps or services, providing early alerts to the security team. Does Darktrace monitor use of unsanctioned SaaS tools or personal devices connected to the network? Yes, Darktrace can monitor the use of unsanctioned SaaS tools and personal devices connected to the network. Through its comprehensive behavioral analysis, it can detect when employees connect to or interact with unauthorized applications or devices. This includes monitoring network traffic, user access behavior, and the use of unsanctioned services. When an insider uses shadow IT or personal devices that are not authorized by the organization, Darktrace flags these activities as suspicious, enabling security teams to take action. 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