The anatomy of insider threats: exploring safety consciousness in an adverse recruitment process

Utilizing the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), this in-depth case study explores the role of individual safety consciousness in an adversary recruitment process. The data stems from the legal proceedings of a criminal case in which Russian Foreign Intelligence (SVR) successfully recruited a trusted employee from a societal safety-oriented organization. Based on three CIT categories: (1) professional recruitment strategies, (2) safety consciousness in the recruitment process, and (3) change in behavior due to the recruitment process, we provide a conceptual model and typology of insider threats. Conceptualized through security violations as accidental & neglective , self-motivated , and actor-driven insider threats, the results may help organizations delineate and target preventive efforts and draw on existing research.