Top 10 Insider Risk Management Products of 2024

These days, your data faces threats from all angles—including your own team. Insider risks loom large, threatening to compromise your sensitive information and disrupt your operations. But fear not! The right insider risk management products can be your secret weapon in this battle. Let's dive into the world of insider risk management and discover the top products that are changing the game in 2024.

What is insider risk?

Picture this: You've fortified your digital fortress against external threats, but what about the enemy within? Insider risk refers to the potential threats posed by individuals who have authorized access to your organization's systems and data. These aren't just disgruntled employees plotting corporate espionage (though that's certainly a concern). Insider risks can stem from staff or contractors who accidentally send sensitive data in a message, who assign the wrong permissions to a sensitive file, or who bypass a security protocol for convenience.

For such seemingly small missteps, the stakes can be astronomically high. A single insider incident can cost your organization millions in damages, tarnish your reputation, and erode customer trust. From accidental data leaks to malicious theft of intellectual property (IP), insider risks take many forms—and they're growing more complex by the day.

What are the benefits of insider risk management products?

In today's evolving threat landscape, it’s vital to implement an insider risk management solution. Here's why:

1. Early detection: These tools spot suspicious activities that might slip under the radar of traditional security measures, giving you a crucial head start in mitigating potential threats.
2. Behavioral analysis: By establishing baselines of normal user behavior, insider risk management products can flag anomalies that might indicate a brewing threat.
3. Data protection: These solutions help safeguard your PII, PCI, PHI, secrets, and IP from theft, leakage, or unauthorized access.
4. Regulatory compliance: With data protection regulations tightening globally, insider risk management tools help you stay compliant and avoid hefty fines.
5. Operational efficiency: By automating threat detection and response processes, these products free up your security team to focus on high-priority tasks.
6. Risk mitigation: Proactive monitoring and intervention capabilities help you address potential insider threats before they escalate into full-blown incidents.
7. Forensic capabilities: In the event of an insider incident, these tools provide valuable forensic data to support investigations and inform future prevention strategies.

Now, on to the main event: the best products for insider risk management. 

What are the top insider risk management products of 2024?

We've done the heavy lifting, analyzing features, user feedback, and industry recognition to bring you this curated list of the top 10 insider risk management products of 2024.

1. Nightfall AI 

With the first and only generative AI (GenAI) detection engine, Nightfall covers SaaS apps, AI apps, email, and endpoints with 4x fewer false positives and a 4x lower cost of ownership compared to the competition. This low false positive rate ensures that security teams can focus on real risks without disrupting legitimate business operations. Furthermore, security teams can leverage real-time alerts and automated remediation to address potential insider threats the instant they manifest. Nightfall’s “Human Firewall” feature also notifies employees when they violate security policies, and gives employees the option to self-remediate any violations. 

Sign up for your custom demo here. 

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2. Forcepoint

Forcepoint provides robust data discovery and classification features, along with detailed user behavior analytics. However, some users have reported connectivity issues, concerns about the product's price point, and occasional slow performance, which can hinder its effectiveness in fast-paced environments.

3. Symantec

Symantec, now part of Broadcom, delivers a powerful set of tools for insider risk management. It offers strong data discovery capabilities and flexible policy controls. Yet, users have noted challenges with implementation complexity and a tendency to generate false positives, which can lead to alert fatigue if not carefully tuned.

4. Trellix

Trellix, formerly McAfee, offers advanced threat detection and response capabilities, leveraging both rule-based and machine learning approaches. However, some users have found the product to be resource-intensive, with a clunky user interface and a challenging installation process.

5. Proofpoint

Proofpoint's insider threat management solution stands out for its focus on people-centric security. It offers strong capabilities in email protection and data loss prevention. But users have reported difficulties with initial setup and ongoing alert management. Some also note limitations in features and integrations compared to other solutions in the market.

6. Island.io

Island takes a unique approach to insider risk management with its secure enterprise browser. It provides granular control over web-based activities and data interactions. While innovative, some organizations have encountered challenges with app compatibility issues and limited browser extensions. As an emerging technology, it can also face resistance during implementation.

7. Varonis

Varonis offers a data-centric approach to insider risk management, with strong capabilities in data classification and access governance. Its ability to detect and respond to abnormal data interactions is noteworthy. However, some users find the solution expensive and complex to manage, with potential inefficiencies in large-scale deployments.

8. Cisco Umbrella

Cisco Umbrella provides cloud-delivered security, including insider risk management features. It offers strong threat intelligence and wide-ranging visibility across your network. Yet, users have reported issues with a slow web console, compatibility problems with certain browsers, and a steep learning curve. Some small to medium businesses also find it costly for their needs.

9. IBM Guardium

IBM's Guardium platform provides comprehensive data activity monitoring and automated compliance workflows. However, users have noted its complexity and high resource requirements. Some organizations, especially smaller ones, find it expensive and challenging to deploy at scale.

10. Code42 Incydr

Code42 Incydr focuses specifically on insider risk management, offering strong file activity monitoring and data exfiltration detection. It provides valuable context around user actions to help prioritize alerts. However, some users have reported a lack of integrations with other security tools, performance lags, and a potentially disruptive setup process.

What's the TL;DR on insider risk management?

In a world where your own team can inadvertently become your riskiest security threat, insider risk management products can help by monitoring for suspicious activities, protecting sensitive data, and helping you respond swiftly to potential insider threats.

While each product has its strengths and potential drawbacks, the right insider risk management tool can transform your security posture, turning your data and user behavior into your strongest line of defense.

Are you ready to take control of your insider risks? Sign up for a demo today to see how Nightfall can help you to stay one step ahead in securing your sensitive data.  

See Nightfall in action

Don’t just take our word for it—read our recent case study to learn about how Deepwatch leveraged Nightfall’s “Human Firewall” feature to mitigate insider risk.