An article on ZDNet provides a good summary of who might be attacking your network, along with tips for fighting back.
Problems could easily come from any of the following:digital user+password1

Employees 
IT workers 
CEOs and small business owners 
State-sponsored actors 
Corporate espionage 
Wannabes and thrill seekers 
Software developers 

[Full Article] Field guide: Types of people behind today’s corporate security threats

…For an example of how serious corporate espionage can be, one need look no further than Nortel, the former telecommunications giant that declared bankruptcy in 2009. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported that hackers, who appeared to be working in China, used stolen passwords from Nortel executives to “downloaded technical papers, research-and-development reports, business plans, employee emails and other documents.” Brian Shields, a former 19-year Nortel employee and systems security adviser, told the CBC that he felt the attacks were a “considerable factor” to the company’s downfall.

“When they see what your business plans are, that’s a huge advantage. It’s unfair business practices that really bring down a company of this size,” Shields said.

Combating corporate espionage requires a multi-layered approach. In her ZDNet article,“Countering corporate espionage,” Sally Whittle recommends that companies:

  • Close the most obvious loopholes — those that can be exploited without breaking the law, such as using carefully crafted Google searches to find sensitive material exposed on corporate web servers
  • Audit their corporate data, identify sensitive information, and segment that information into dedicated, high-security areas of the network
  • Regularly check logs for unusual network or file activity
  • Use standard security best practices such as intrusion-detection systems, firewalls, regular penetration testing, and even application auditing
  • Educate their employees about social engineering attacks

…

Know your enemies and yourself

Knowing the types of people threatening your network is a critical first step in protecting your organization. As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War:

“It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”

For more information on defending your networks from these individuals and groups, check out the following resources:

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