Insider: National Security through Private Sector Regulation? Critical Evaluation of Insider Threat Programs and Security Compliance in Current Geo...

INSIDER will map and analyse the fundamental tensions between national security interests and private sector profit motive, often disavowed by policymakers.

The project zooms in on the case of insider threat management programs and (cyber)security compliance products on the market sold to Norwegian private sector operators of critical infrastructure and corporations operating in Norway. 

INSIDER will

  1. analyse the fundamental tensions and conflicts of interest built into security compliance and insider threat programs sold as one-stop-shop products by management consulting and tech firms for regulatory and (cyber)security compliance, 
  2. evaluate the national security risks and new threats that may stem from these tensions 
    and from the implementation of these programs by private sector actors through a multi-level analysis, 
  3. place the case study within a larger analysis of the geopolitical context of great power competition, weaponization of interdependence, and the intersection of ‘regulatory capitalism’ and ‘surveillance capitalism’ , and 
  4. deliver a risk analysis of compliance security solutions on the market from the perspective of total defence, national security and the interests of the Norwegian defence sector , critically evaluating the potential risks, unintended consequences, and even threats posed by policy-driven (over)reliance on private sector security compliance solutions in achieving the goals of total defence. 

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