SCHOOL THESIS

organization’s policies, procedures, and technology. In addition, they are
often also aware of their vulnerabilities, such as loosely enforced policies
and procedures, or exploitable technical flaws in networks or systems. 186
No matter how effective the technology, agency employees must understand they
are responsible for adequately securing classified national security information entrusted
to them, including not disclosing the information to others without a need-to-know who
may try to gain access to such information via established relationships. Indications of
risky employees may also come via social network sites in the form of negative
comments. Examples of this would include the Transportation Security Authority (TSA)
employee who posted anti-Muslim and anti-gay remarks 187 or the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) employee who maintained an anti-white, anti-gay website. 188
As Shaw, Fischer, and Rose report:
These activities can pose a threat to national security, endanger the lives or
well-being of other employees, or destroy a successful company. Such
behaviors include espionage against the United States, theft of intangible
assets or intellectual property, sabotage or attacks against networks and
information systems, theft or embezzlement, illegal export of critical
technologies, and domestic terrorism or collaboration with terrorist
groups. While these crimes and offenses may seem dissimilar, the
offenders themselves are frequently driven by the same motivations—
greed, disgruntlement, conflicting loyalties, ego-satisfaction—and they
often exhibit similar early indicators or precursors of subsequent
damaging behavior. 189
As noted by INSA, an online investigation system would improve efficiency and
allow for cost savings. Its 2014 report states:
Investigators no longer need to rely primarily on interviews to find out
where a person travels, what they like, who their friends are, what they
buy, where they live and what interests they have. Each of us has a ‘digital
exhaust’ or footprint whether we like it or not. Unlike interviews, records
186 Ibid.
187 Roy Egan, “Former O’Hare TSA Agent, Fired Over Repeated Anti-Muslim, Racist Facebook
Remarks,” Huffington Post, November 17, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/roy-eganformer-ohare-tsa_n_1099331.html
188 Cathy Burke, “Report: DHS Employee Maintains Anti-White, Anti-Gay Site,” Newsmax, May 21,
2015, http://www.newsmax.com/US/dhs-employee-anti-white/2013/08/22/id/521670/
189 Shaw, Fischer, and Rose, Insider Risk Evaluation and Audit, vii.
60