Designing an Insider Threat Detection and Management Programme for Nigerian Oil and Gas Companies in the South South Zone

Insider threats in Nigerian oil and gas operations represent a significant and compound security risk combining IT-OT attack vectors, corporate espionage, and financially motivated sabotage, and a professionally designed insider threat management programme addresses this critical sector-specific need. This study designed an insider threat detection and management programme for oil and gas companies operating in the South South zone, with reference to operational contexts in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States. A professional programme design methodology was applied, drawing on threat intelligence assessment of oil sector insider incidents from 2019 to 2024, structured consultations with 15 corporate security managers and 8 cybersecurity specialists from five oil companies, and benchmarking against Carnegie Mellon CERT Insider Threat Programme best practices, NIST SP 800-53, and Nigerian DPR cybersecurity guidelines for oil operators. The programme designed encompasses five components: insider threat policy and governance, employee onboarding and departure security, behavioural analytics and anomaly detection, privileged access management, and confidential reporting and investigation procedures. Specific adaptations for OT environments, including physical-cyber convergence monitoring, are specified. Expert review by ten oil sector security and insider threat specialists confirmed the programme's operational relevance and legal compliance. The study recommends adoption by the Oil Producers Trade Section and integration into DPR mandatory cybersecurity inspection requirements for E&P licence holders.

Keywords: insider threat, oil and gas security, South South Nigeria, behavioural analytics, privileged access management