Twitter spying case shows insider risks

Rogue employees going through data and spying across networks have long plagued governments and corporations. But in this burgeoning age of social networks, the stakes are higher.

Allegations that two former Twitter employees spied on opponents of the Saudi government at its behest have raised nagging questions about how to detect and halt the so-called insider threats.

Experts note that it's easier for foreign governments to bribe company employees than to try to hack a company. Detecting insider access isn't easy, despite the availability of tools to do so.

Yet the wealth of data that these companies have turned them into lucrative targets. Companies that provide email, social media, search and other services have troves of personal data, including users' location, hobbies, political views and private messages.