The economic downturn has meant budget crisis for numerous industries. Organizations large and small have had to cut costs and, in many cases, cut jobs. One often-overlooked side effect of the corporate lay-off is an increasing risk to information security. In times of economic stress, otherwise well-behaved employees may consider clever ways to create “severance packages” or be tempted to commit lucrative crimes. This presentation examines the risks associated with insider threat, reasons why insider attacks are historically successful, and key controls every organization should have in place to mitigate such risks and prevent successful exploits by trusted insiders.