When a Privileged User Goes Rogue
An ex-employee of Eaton Corporation in Ohio was found guilty of federal charges, including sabotaging his former employer with custom malware, a "kill switch" on the company network, and data theft, bringing to light the risks and challenges of managing your highly privileged users.
Privileged users—like IT admins, those with access to sensitive data, and IT infrastructure managers—are the backbone of any organization’s technology stack. They keep everything running smoothly, ensuring security, performance, and data integrity. But with great power comes great responsibility—and, unfortunately, significant risk. According to Gartner, 80% of security breaches involve privileged credentials, making it clear that insider threats aren’t just hypothetical—they’re happening all the time.
In this blog, we’ll unpack the hidden risks of privileged users, explore a real-life case that highlights what can go wrong, and discuss strategies to keep your organization protected.
The Eaton Corporation Case: When a Privileged User Goes Rogue
In March 2025, Davis Lu, a 55-year-old software developer from Houston, Texas, was convicted by a federal jury in Cleveland for intentionally damaging his former employer’s computer systems. Lu had been employed by Eaton Corporation, a power management company based in Beachwood, Ohio, from 2007 until his termination in 2019.
Following a corporate restructuring in 2018 that reduced his job responsibilities and system access, Lu retaliated by deploying malicious code on the company's servers in 2019. One of his scripts created an infinite loop that consumed system resources, causing server crashes and preventing user logins.
But that wasn’t the worst of it. Lu also embedded a "kill switch" script named "IsDLEnabledinAD," designed to lock out all users if his account was disabled in Active Directory. When he was let go in September 2019, the script activated, locking out thousands of employees worldwide and causing major operational disruptions.
On top of that, Lu deleted encrypted data from his company-issued laptop before returning it and had been researching ways to escalate privileges, hide processes, and delete files quickly—classic red flags of insider sabotage.
His actions caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Now, convicted of intentionally damaging protected computers, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
This case isn't unique. Insider threats are a growing concern across industries. In 2020, Tesla caught an employee attempting to steal proprietary data and share it with outside parties. Similarly, a former Cisco employee deliberately deleted over 16,000 WebEx accounts, disrupting service for thousands of customers. These cases highlight the real and costly dangers that insider threats pose to organizations worldwide.
The Risks of Privileged Users You Can’t Ignore
This case highlights just how much damage a disgruntled or malicious privileged user can do. But sabotage isn’t the only risk you need to worry about:
- Accidental Misconfiguration – Even well-meaning admins can make mistakes that leave security holes open, exposing your company to breaches. A misconfigured cloud database, for example, can expose sensitive company data to the public without anyone realizing it until it’s too late.
- Unauthorized Movement of Sensitive Data – Privileged users can access high-value data and move it without proper oversight, whether for convenience or malicious intent. This is especially concerning when sensitive customer data or intellectual property is involved.
- Unmonitored High-Risk Access – Admins often have broad access to systems and infrastructure, making it difficult to track what’s happening until it’s too late. Without visibility, unauthorized access or changes can go unnoticed for months.
- Intentional Sabotage – The nightmare scenario no one wants to think about, but as the Eaton Corporation case proves, it happens. A disgruntled employee with deep system knowledge can cause massive damage.
- Access Creep – Over time, privileged users tend to accumulate more access rights than they need. This leads to a situation where former employees or even long-time staff have excessive access that could be exploited.
- Third-Party Privileged Access Risks – Many organizations work with vendors and contractors who require elevated access to perform tasks. If not properly managed, these external users can introduce security risks.
Zero Trust Security and Least Privilege: The Best Defense
A robust approach to security must include two key principles: Zero Trust and Least Privilege. These strategies limit the risks posed by privileged users by ensuring that access is strictly controlled and constantly verified.
Zero Trust Security
Zero Trust operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify."Instead of assuming that users inside the network are trustworthy, Zero Trust requires continuous authentication, verification, and monitoring of all users and devices. Implementing Zero Trust involves:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to ensure that even if credentials are compromised, unauthorized users cannot gain access.
- Micro-Segmentation to limit access between systems, ensuring users can only reach the resources they need.
- Behavior-Based Anomaly Detection to identify unusual activity that might indicate a compromised privileged user account.
Least Privilege Access
The principle of least privilege (PoLP) ensures that users only have the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. Organizations can enforce this by:
- Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) to assign permissions based on job roles rather than individual users.
- Regular Access Reviews to ensure that employees and third parties do not retain unnecessary privileges.
- Just-In-Time (JIT) Access which grants temporary privileged access only when needed and revokes it afterward.
How Endpoint Monitoring Can Protect Your Organization
So, how do you keep your organization safe when privileged users inherently need access? The answer lies in robust endpoint monitoring and proactive security measures.
- AI & ML Analysis – Detect unusual patterns in privileged user behavior that might indicate a security threat.
- First-Hand Visibility – See data interactions as they happen, providing instant awareness of potential risks.
- Workflow & Endpoint Insights – Gain visibility into daily user workflows and actions at the endpoint level.
- Real-Time Forensics – Capture and analyze data directly from endpoints to detect threats as they emerge.
- Process & Application Monitoring – Track interactions between applications, processes, and system components.
- Data Access & Usage Auditing – Understand how data is accessed and used, helping to identify high-risk events and maintain audit trails for compliance
How InnerActiv Helps You Stay Ahead
InnerActiv provides a robust security platform designed to tackle these risks head-on:
- Continuous Monitoring Across Devices – No matter what device an admin uses, their actions should be tracked in real time to catch anything suspicious before it escalates.
- AI-Powered Threat Detection – Advanced analytics and machine learning can spot unusual patterns in privileged user behavior, helping detect potential threats early.
- Internal Fraud & Misuse Detection – Tools that monitor how resources are used can help prevent unauthorized activity and detect fraud.
- File Tracking & Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – Even if access is allowed, tracking file movement can ensure sensitive data doesn’t go where it shouldn’t.
- Sentiment & Behavior Analysis – Monitoring user behavior for signs of frustration, dissatisfaction, or other red flags can help predict and prevent insider threats before they happen.
The Bottom Line
Privileged users are a necessary part of any business, but they also represent one of the biggest security risks. As the Eaton Corporation case shows, a single disgruntled employee can wreak havoc on an organization’s systems, data, and operations.
By implementing strong endpoint monitoring, Zero Trust security, and leveraging solutions like InnerActiv, businesses can keep their privileged users in check, protect their critical infrastructure, and stay ahead of potential insider threats.
Do you have concerns about the security of your privileged users?
Contact us for a free consultation at info@inneractiv.com
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