When Your Most Trusted Employees Are Your Biggest Threat: Lessons from the Honolulu Child Sex Crimes Conviction Case
- CrisisWire
- Oct 30
- 2 min read
A Honolulu Police Department officer just received 23 years in federal prison for crimes that FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigators describe as the ultimate insider threat—using police databases to monitor investigations into his own criminal activities while systematically rotating phones, SIM cards, and fake social media profiles to evade detection. This case exposes why insider threat detection programs represent organizations' most critical vulnerability in 2025.
The Insider Threat Organizations Don't See Coming
Mason Jordan's 34-month crime spree demonstrates sophisticated evasion tactics that my research "How to Conduct an Insider Threat Audit in 10 Steps" (available on Academia.edu, Archive.org, and Scribd) identifies as characteristic of malicious insiders. As detailed in Threat Assessment Handbook, trusted employees with system access pose exponentially greater risk than external threats.
During 12 years investigating organized crime with LAPD and 6+ years directing security for U.S. Embassy Baghdad (documented in Uniformed Silence), I learned that insider threats follow predictable patterns—if organizations implement detection systems that work.
Five Warning Signs Organizations Missed
Database Access Abuse: Jordan queried police systems to research victims and monitor investigations. FEMA IS-915: Protecting Critical Infrastructure training addresses database monitoring, yet most organizations lack audit systems tracking abnormal queries detailed in my insider threat frameworks.
Technical Sophistication: Rotating burner phones, disposable email accounts, and fake social media profiles indicate premeditation requiring behavioral threat assessment intervention per Secret Service and FBI threat assessment protocols.
Policy Violations Ignored: Small boundary violations often precede major insider incidents. Workplace violence prevention programs must flag pattern deviations as outlined in The Prepared Leader.
Access Beyond Need: Jordan's database queries exceeded job requirements—anomaly detection systems integrated with comprehensive security programs would flag such behavior per DHS insider threat guidelines.
Trusted Position Exploitation: The ultimate insider threat emerges from positions requiring greatest trust. My paper "Executive Protection in 2025" addresses protecting high-risk personnel from insider threats.
The $17.4 Million Question
IBM research shows average insider threat incidents cost $17.4 million. Organizations implementing California SB 553 workplace violence prevention must address insider threats as workplace hazards requiring systematic detection aligned with OSHA workplace violence standards.
What Your Organization Needs Now
User Behavior Analytics: Monitor database queries, network access, and system anomalies using frameworks from "How to Conduct an Insider Threat Audit"
Access Control Audits: Regular reviews using Locked Down: The Access Control Playbook methodologies ensure appropriate system permissions
Threat Assessment Integration: Combine physical security assessments with behavioral monitoring per ASIS International standards
Policy Enforcement: Zero tolerance for boundary violations prevents escalation to major incidents
After 40 years protecting sensitive operations—from nuclear weapons facilities to diplomatic compounds detailed in The Prepared Leader—I've learned that insider threats are preventable when organizations implement evidence-based detection programs. The HPD case proves that trust without verification enables catastrophic breaches.
Don't wait for your trusted employee to make headlines.
Warren Pulley | CrisisWire Threat Management Solutions | 40 years protecting lives across USAF, LAPD, U.S. Embassy Baghdad, campus security | Author: Threat Assessment Handbook, Uniformed Silence | LinkedIn | Twitter/X | Instagram
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