Why Companies Are Struggling to Track Who Has Access to Your Data

A new cybersecurity company called Offroad just received $7 million in funding to help solve a growing problem: businesses can no longer keep track of all the apps, automated programs, and services that have access to their systems and customer data. As companies adopt more AI tools and connect to more outside services, the number of digital identities that need passwords and access permissions has exploded. Many organizations have lost control over who or what can access sensitive information. This matters to families because when a company loses track of which programs have access to your data, they cannot properly protect it. If a business doesn't know that an old, unmonitored app still has access to customer records, that app becomes a back door for hackers.

Your personal information, including email addresses, purchase history, health records, or financial data, could be exposed through these forgotten access points. While you cannot directly control how companies manage their security, you can protect yourself by taking these steps:

1. Regularly review which apps and services have access to your important accounts. Go to your Google, Apple, Microsoft, and social media account settings and look for sections called "Connected Apps" or "Third Party Access." Remove anything you no longer use.
2. Use different passwords for different services. If one company gets breached through a forgotten access point, your other accounts stay safe.
3. Enable login alerts on your bank, email, and important accounts so you get notified when something accesses your information.
4. Before signing up for a new service, ask yourself if they really need access to your Google account, Facebook profile, or other data. Choose "create a new account with email" instead of "sign in with Google" when possible. Make it a habit to do a quarterly digital cleanup. Every three months, spend 30 minutes reviewing what apps and services are connected to your main accounts. Remove old connections, change passwords on important accounts, and talk to your family about doing the same. Teaching children early about managing digital access helps them develop lifelong privacy habits.