Certified: The Security+ Prepcast

In cybersecurity, we often think about threats in terms of tools, tactics, and techniques—like malware, phishing, or zero-day exploits. But one of the most important, and sometimes most difficult, types of threat to detect isn’t always tied to malicious code or a technical vulnerability. It’s human behavior. Sometimes a breach begins not with a brute-force attack or an advanced persistent threat—but with someone doing something they’re not supposed to. And that’s why recognizing anomalous behavior is such an essential part of modern cybersecurity strategy. In this episode, we’re going to break down how to identify risky behaviors, how to manage unexpected patterns, and how to handle unintentional threats that arise from simple mistakes.
Let’s start with identifying risky behaviors. These are actions taken by users that may not immediately look malicious—but still indicate a potential threat. Risky behaviors can include accessing sensitive files without authorization, logging in from unusual locations, installing unauthorized software, or sending large volumes of data outside the organization. What makes these behaviors risky is not necessarily what they are—it’s the context in which they occur.
For example, a member of the human resources team might suddenly begin accessing folders from the finance department. That might not seem like a problem if you’re just looking at file logs—but it becomes concerning when you realize that person has never accessed those files before, has no business reason to do so, and did it at 2:30 in the morning from a new device.
Another example could be an employee who plugs in a personal USB drive, copies several hundred files, and then emails an external address. That might be part of a legitimate project—or it might be an early warning sign of data exfiltration.
This is where user behavior analytics comes into play. Security systems today can establish baselines for normal user activity—what systems are accessed, when, from where, and how often. When that baseline shifts, the system can flag the behavior for review. Maybe it’s an insider threat. Maybe it’s a compromised account. Or maybe it’s just a user trying to do something new without understanding the rules. Either way, recognizing that something’s off is the first step in catching a threat before it escalates.
Let’s move now to managing unexpected behaviors. These are actions that break from routine—not necessarily because of risk—but because they are out of pattern. For example, an executive who always logs in from New York suddenly logs in from Brazil at 3 a.m. Or an endpoint that’s been quiet for weeks suddenly starts making thousands of outbound connections in a short time span. These are unexpected behaviors. They don’t always mean something bad is happening—but they always deserve a second look.
The challenge is filtering signal from noise. Not every unexpected behavior is a threat. People travel. Systems change. Access patterns evolve. The goal isn’t to flag every single anomaly—it’s to spot the ones that matter. That’s where intelligent alerting and security orchestration tools help. They can combine multiple factors—like time, location, frequency, and device signature—to score behaviors based on risk.
Here’s a real-world scenario. A mid-level manager at a manufacturing company logs into the company VPN from a country they’ve never visited, using a device that’s never been seen before. Within minutes, they start trying to access internal research files. The system flags this behavior as a high-severity anomaly. The security team immediately disables the session and contacts the employee—who confirms that they’re not traveling, and that they didn’t authorize the login. The account had been compromised. Because the behavior didn’t fit the expected pattern, the threat was caught and contained before any data was stolen.
Unexpected behavior detection is especially valuable for identifying insider threats. It helps catch users who are violating policy intentionally—like downloading confidential files to take to a competitor—or those who are acting carelessly, like forwarding sensitive data to personal email accounts. And in both cases, it gives the security team the chance to respond before real damage occurs.
Finally, we come to unintentional threats. These are some of the most common and overlooked risks in any organization. They’re not caused by bad actors—they’re caused by good people making mistakes. It might be someone accidentally sending sensitive files to the wrong person. Or clicking on a phishing link. Or using weak passwords. Or uploading files to a public cloud share without realizing it’s open to the world.
Unintentional threats often stem from gaps in training, unclear policies, or overly complex systems. When users don’t know what’s expected of them—or when systems are designed in ways that make mistakes easy—errors happen. And those errors can lead to compliance violations, data breaches, or system downtime.
Here’s a simple example. A customer support rep tries to make their job easier by storing call transcripts in a spreadsheet on their desktop. Over time, that spreadsheet grows to include hundreds of customer names, phone numbers, and account details. One day, their laptop is stolen. There’s no encryption on the file. No password on the device. And now, hundreds of customers are at risk. There was no malicious intent—but the impact is the same.
The key to reducing unintentional threats is a mix of user education, system controls, and clear procedures. Employees need to know what behaviors are risky—even if they seem harmless. Systems should be configured to prevent common mistakes, like blocking email attachments that contain sensitive data, or warning users before they upload files to third-party sites. And organizations need to create a culture where it’s okay to ask questions, report mistakes, and learn from errors without fear of punishment.
Let’s revisit that support rep scenario. Now imagine the organization had deployed data loss prevention tools that scanned local files for sensitive information and encrypted them automatically. Or a pop-up that warned users when unencrypted files were saved to a desktop. Or a weekly tip that reminded staff not to store customer data outside approved systems. Those small changes could prevent big problems.
As you study for the Security Plus exam, expect to see questions that ask you to identify risky, unexpected, or unintentional behavior. If a scenario involves file access that doesn’t match a user’s normal pattern, think anomalous behavior. If it describes actions that weren’t intended to harm but still pose risk—like misconfiguring a cloud storage bucket—that’s an unintentional threat. And if it shows someone going outside their normal access patterns at odd hours, it might be the start of a compromised account or insider threat.
For behavior monitoring guides, user risk scoring templates, and training tools designed to reduce unintentional threats, visit us at Bare Metal Cyber dot com. And for the most complete, exam-focused Security Plus study resource available—with hundreds of practice questions and real-world context—go to Cyber Author dot me and order your copy of Achieve CompTIA Security Plus S Y Zero Dash Seven Zero One Exam Success.