Insider Threats in Telecoms: How Operators Can Combat Growing Risks in 2025

According to TechForge Media, the telecom industry was the most targeted sector for insider threats in 2025, accounting for a staggering 42% of all insider activity reported on illicit forums. Threat actors increasingly exploit telecom employees to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems, a trend poised to accelerate as cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated.

Insider Threats in Telecoms: A Growing Security Concern

The report by Flashpoint sheds light on the alarming increase in insider threats within the telecom industry over the past year. In 2025, researchers tracked 91,321 incidents of insider recruitment campaigns and related discussions, with over 17,612 unique individuals involved across 10,475 monitored Telegram channels and other platforms. Telecom employees were actively advertising their access to internal systems, often facilitating SIM swapping attacks—where a phone number is hijacked to bypass SMS-based two-factor authentication.

According to Flashpoint, telecoms’ gatekeeping role in identity authentication makes the industry a prime target for attackers. Through compromised carrier employees, cybercriminals can infiltrate high-value sectors like finance or technology, leveraging stolen identities to breach corporate and personal accounts. While telecoms topped the list for insider “suppliers,” the highest demand for their services came from threat actors targeting technology and financial organizations.

The Broader Market Context: A Looming Threat for All Industries

The growing cybersecurity challenge in telecom is emblematic of an industry-wide shift toward targeting the ‘human element’ rather than developing complex technical exploits. Insider-related risks extend beyond telecom to other industries, potentially affecting enterprises at every level of the supply chain. Flashpoint’s report also outlined significant cases from 2025, such as nine telecom employees facilitating illegal purchases by misusing the personal data of over 94,000 individuals or third-party contractors at a cryptocurrency firm leaking the data of 69,000 customers—resulting in the firing of 300 workers.

With the average cost of a cyberattack estimated at $2.5 million, the economic toll on targeted companies is significant. Insider threats compound this issue as traditional security stacks often fail to detect non-technical problems, such as behavioral deviations that signal malicious intent. Financial stress, impulsive actions, or signs of unexplained wealth among employees are among the key indicators security experts recommend for monitoring insider risks.

Expert Insights: How Telecoms Can Adapt to the Emerging Landscape

Experts emphasize that the telecom sector must adapt to counter increasingly sophisticated attacks. The advancement of AI tools has amplified the capabilities of both defenders and adversaries. Attackers are now using AI to automate the search for vulnerabilities, while companies integrate AI-enhanced anomaly detection to flag suspicious patterns more effectively.

Proactive measures should include continuous verification models, advanced staff training on cybersecurity best practices, and increased visibility into dark web recruitment channels. Network traffic monitoring remains crucial, as large-scale unauthorized downloads and unusual encryption activity generally precede data exfiltration events. Analysts also caution against relying solely on technical controls, suggesting a hybrid approach that combines behavioral analysis with traditional cybersecurity tools.

Looking ahead, tighter regulations on insider-related incidents, coupled with increased fines for breaches, may incentivize telecoms to prioritize robust insider threat protection measures. Platforms such as Signal and other encrypted messaging services are also expected to gain traction as threat actors shift away from monitored channels like Telegram, presenting new challenges for security teams.

Conclusion: Are Telecoms Ready for the Insider Threat Epidemic?

The telecom industry’s vulnerability to insider threats underscores the need for a paradigm shift in cybersecurity strategies. As attackers exploit human vulnerabilities, organizations must enhance both technical controls and behavioral detection mechanisms. By investing in advanced monitoring tools and continuous staff training, telecom operators can better protect against the financial and reputational damage caused by insider attacks.

What do you think? Are telecoms doing enough to tackle insider threats, or is a complete overhaul of their approach required? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Source: TechForge Media