The Insider Threat at Remote Sites

Critical infrastructure facilities across the globe run 24/7, transforming raw materials into the essential services that power our modern world. From remote mining operations to energy production sites, these facilities represent both the foundation of global commerce and, increasingly, its greatest vulnerability. While cybersecurity teams focus on external threats, a more complex challenge lurks within: the insider threat. At isolated industrial sites, where physical distance meets digital connectivity, this risk takes on dimensions that few security frameworks are equipped to address.

Three distinct factors make remote sites particularly vulnerable to insider threats. First is the challenge of access control: staff require broad system privileges to maintain operations, often spanning both digital networks and physical infrastructure. Second is the psychological dimension: remote locations create unique pressures, from community influences to personal grievances, particularly during organizational changes. Third is the monitoring challenge: physical isolation and complex systems make distinguishing between normal and suspicious behaviour extraordinarily difficult.

The 2023 Tesla breach demonstrated how these factors converge. Two former employees with broad access privileges leaked not just personnel records, but also production secrets and operational data to foreign media, compromising both corporate security and industrial operations in a single breach. The incident exposed sensitive data of over 75,000 employees along with confidential production information, showing how a single insider threat can have widespread implications for both personnel and operations.

At remote sites, the technical vulnerability is compounded by legacy systems. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA systems, which manage everything from pressure valves to power distribution, weren't designed with modern security threats in mind. In the third quarter of 2024, 22% of industrial control systems had to block malicious objects and actors. The 2017 Triton attack on a Saudi petrochemical plant demonstrated how attackers can lurk undetected in these systems for years, accessing both operational technology and corporate networks through a single compromised workstation.

Addressing these challenges requires a three-pronged approach.

1. Organisations must implement robust personnel management systems - including behavioural analytics to detect unusual patterns, tracking of employee grievances and transitions, and immediate access revocation during offboarding. The 2020 Stradis Healthcare incident, where a furloughed vice president used a secret account to delete critical shipping data, demonstrates why this matters.
2. Technical controls must evolve beyond traditional boundaries - implementing User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA), requiring peer review for critical system changes, and regularly auditing access patterns.
3. Organisations must build security-aware cultures that acknowledge and address the unique pressures of remote operations, including clear reporting mechanisms for suspicious behaviour and recognition of site-specific challenges.

The insider threat at remote sites isn't just about malicious actors, it's about understanding and addressing the complex interplay of human psychology, technical access, and operational requirements. Success requires moving beyond simple monitoring to create comprehensive security frameworks that acknowledge both technical and human dimensions.

In an environment where a single compromised insider can shut down critical infrastructure, organisations must adapt their security approach to match the unique challenges of remote operations. Those that do will find themselves better equipped to prevent, detect, and respond to the growing threat of insider incidents.