Half of Staff Have Too Much Access to Data – Is Your Business at Risk?

Here’s a question worth asking yourself:

• 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 your answer is “I think so,” you’re not alone. Most business owners assume access is handled during setup and that’s the end of it. But the reality is very different.

Recent research shows that around half of employees have access to far more data than they should.

And that’s a huge problem.

Why Too Much Access is Dangerous

It’s not just about the risk of a rogue employee stealing information. The far more common (and costly) risk is human error.

• Someone clicks on the wrong file.
• An email goes to the wrong person.
• A staff member leaves, but still has access to your systems months later.

When people can see things they don’t need, mistakes become inevitable. Worse still, it creates compliance headaches and leaves your business wide open to insider risk.

Insider Risk: The Hidden Threat Inside Every Business

Insider risk simply means the threat posed by the people who already have access to your systems — employees, contractors, even past staff.

It comes in two forms:

• Deliberate – theft, sabotage, or misuse of company data.
• Unintentional – sending the wrong file, keeping access after role changes, or holding onto system logins after leaving.

And the biggest driver of insider risk? Privilege creep.

That’s when staff gradually build up more access than they should — usually because they’ve changed roles, been added to new systems, or because no one has reviewed their permissions in years.

The Reality for Australian Businesses

• Only a small percentage of businesses actively manage access properly.
  Almost half admit that ex-staff still have system access months after leaving.
• That’s like giving a former employee the keys to your office… and forgetting to change the locks.

The Solution: Least Privilege & Just-In-Time Access

The good news is, fixing this doesn’t mean slowing your team down. It just means applying the principle of least privilege — giving people access only to the data and systems they need to do their job.

That includes:

• Just-in-time access – temporary permissions only when required.
• Immediate offboarding – removing all access the moment someone leaves.
• Regular reviews – auditing who can see what, and tightening controls.
• Automation – using modern tools to enforce these rules across cloud apps, AI platforms, and “shadow IT” your staff might adopt without approval.

This isn’t about locking people out. It’s about protecting your business, customers, and reputation.

Next Step for Businesses

If you’re not 100% sure who has access to your systems right now, you’re not alone — and you’re at risk.

At National PC, we make access control simple, secure, and human. Through our Empower SHIELD framework, we help businesses just like yours tighten permissions, remove privilege creep, and ensure your systems are secure by default.

🔐 Book your free Empower Systems Assessment today and uncover where your risks really are — before a mistake turns into a breach.