Study of Insider Threat Risk Among Bank Tellers in Commercial Banks in Abuja

Bank tellers occupy a privileged position in commercial bank security architecture, with access to customer accounts, cash systems, and transaction records, making insider threat risk management at this level critically important for banking sector cybersecurity. This study assessed insider threat risk factors and security behaviour among bank tellers in five commercial banks in Abuja Municipal Area Council, FCT. A confidential descriptive survey was conducted among 150 bank tellers. The instrument assessed security behaviour compliance, workload-related security shortcuts, awareness of insider threat policies, job satisfaction as a security risk correlate, and financial stress indicators associated with insider fraud risk. Results showed that workload pressure drove security shortcut behaviour in 52.0 percent of respondents, including skipping mandatory transaction verification. Financial stress indicators suggesting elevated insider fraud risk were present in 28.0 percent. Only 40.0 percent had received specific insider threat awareness training. Awareness of whistleblowing mechanisms was low at 29.3 percent. Dissatisfaction with current salary was reported by 62.7 percent and was significantly correlated with lower security compliance scores (r = -0.42, p < 0.001). The study concludes that insider threat risk among bank tellers in Abuja is elevated by structural factors including workload, financial stress, and insufficient training. Recommendations include mandatory insider threat training, employee assistance programmes, anonymous reporting systems, and enhanced transaction monitoring systems for teller operations. Keywords: insider threat, bank tellers, commercial banking, Abuja, financial cybercrime