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Almost a month back, a promising Indian startup experienced what many organizations fear but rarely prepare for — a devastating internal breach. The key application that powered its business was rendered non-functional overnight and controversies galore.
But beneath the headlines was a deeper issue: uncontrolled privileged access and the underestimated risk of insider threats.
What went Wrong: The Blind Spot
Any startup, especially when it is technology-based, thrives on agility, dynamic teams, and rapid iteration. Amid the speed, one aspect is many times overlooked — access governance. Recently, a team member was reportedly terminated who –
- Deleted critical backend code and logs
- Exploited access privileges which were left unchecked/ unattended post-termination
- Eventually, brought IT operations to a standstill
This isn’t an isolated incident. According to industry data, over 60% of data breaches originate from insiders — either maliciously or unintentionally. In environments where trust replaces policy, vulnerabilities multiply. The major reasons for this were:
- No Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC): The alleged insider had seamless access to production systems — possibly with no segmentation or oversight.
- Delayed Access Revocation: Once fired, the user credentials were still active — a common but dangerous lapse in fast-moving teams.
- Lack of Session Monitoring: No clear audit trail of who did what, when, why — making post-incident forensics harder.
- Poor Communication and Culture: Layoffs via WhatsApp, dismissals without due process — fueled resentment and chaos internally.
What could have Prevented this?
To keep such catastrophes at bay, growing startups and enterprises must:
Implement Privileged Access Management (PAM): Restricted access to critical IT assets by enforcing just-in-time (JIT) access models.
Automate Access Revocation: Ensure instant deprovisioning of access once an employee exists—especially from IT administration, risk management or development.
Audit Everything: Maintain full visibility over end-user activities through session monitoring and video/ text logs. These are essential for security and accountability.
Zero Trust over Blind Trust: Adopt Zero Trust Security posture — every access must be verified, monitored, and then authorized to access the desired system/ application/ repository.
The Bottom Line
It’s time startups treat insider threats with the seriousness they deserve — and make a robust Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution one of the core essentials of their IT security infrastructure.
