Here is a question that is worth a pause: Do you know exactly who in your business can access your critical data right now?

And more importantly, do they actually need that access to do their job?

If you are like most business owners, you probably assume access gets sorted out during setup and that is the end of it. But new research tells a different story.

It turns out that around half of staff in businesses have access to far more data than they should. This is a big problem.

It is not just about someone doing something malicious. Mistakes happen. When people can see things they do not need, it opens the door to accidents, breaches, and compliance headaches.

This is what is known as insider risk. That means the risk that comes from people inside your business, whether they are employees, contractors, or anyone else with access to your systems.

Sometimes insider risk is intentional, like when someone steals data. But more often, it is accidental. Someone clicks the wrong button, sends information to the wrong person, or keeps access after they leave the business. That is when trouble starts.

A big contributor is something called “privilege creep.” This is when people gradually gain more access than they actually need, often because they change roles, get added to new systems, or no one reviews what they can see.

The research shows that only a small percentage of businesses are actively managing this. That leaves a lot of data exposed.

Even more concerning, almost half of businesses admit some former staff still have system access months after leaving. That is like leaving your office keys with someone who does not work for you anymore.

The solution is to make sure people can only access what they need, and nothing more. This is called “least privilege.” It means setting up permissions so access is limited to what is necessary, and only given temporarily if needed. This is sometimes called “just in time” access.

Just as important, when someone leaves your business, all their access should be removed right away.

With today’s cloud apps, AI tools, and invisible IT (where software is used without IT even knowing), this can be tricky. But it is possible. The key is to be proactive.

Regularly review who has access to what, tighten up permissions, and use tools that help automate the process.

The goal is not to slow your team down. It is to protect your data, your customers, and your business’s reputation.

If you want help checking how secure your access controls are, reach out to us. It is always better to know now than after a breach.