What Logs Matter During an Insider Threat Investigation

Insider threat investigations differ from external attacks because the subject may have legitimate access to systems and data. Evidence must distinguish authorised activity from misuse.

Access and authentication logs

Track when the subject accessed systems, what resources they viewed, and whether access patterns changed relative to their normal behaviour.

Data movement evidence

File access logs, download records, email attachments, and cloud storage activity reveal whether sensitive data was accessed or exfiltrated.

Behavioural correlation

Combine technical evidence with contextual information: role changes, performance issues, departure timelines, and reported concerns from colleagues.