Executives still talk about insider threats as if the danger begins and ends with a disgruntled employee stealing data on the way out. But the modern version of the problem is far less theatrical and far more pervasive. The Ponemon Institute’s 2026 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report shows the total average annual cost of insider incidents reached $19.5 million per organization, while IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach report puts the average cost of a single malicious insider incident at $4.92 million.

The category now includes job candidates who are not who they claim to be, subcontractors who share credentials across multiple full-time roles, and everyday employees whose access rights have drifted far beyond their actual responsibilities.