Why Your Online Accounts Are Getting Harder to Protect (And What Companies Are Doing About It)

A new cybersecurity company called Offroad just launched with funding to solve a growing problem. As families use more apps, online services, and AI tools, each one often asks for permission to access other accounts. Third party apps connecting to your Google account, smart home devices linking to your Amazon account, and AI assistants requesting access to your email create a tangled web of connections that even security experts struggle to track.

Offroad is developing automated tools to help organizations monitor and control all these connections. This matters to families because every app or service you grant access to becomes a potential security weakness. When you click "Sign in with Google" or "Connect to Facebook" to use a new app, you're giving that app some level of access to your information.

If that company gets hacked or sells your data, your main accounts could be compromised. Most people have dozens of these connections and have forgotten about many of them. Parents who let kids install games and apps face even more complexity, as children often click "allow" without understanding what they're sharing.

1. Log into your Google account, go to Security, then "Third party apps with account access" to see everything connected to your Google account. Remove anything you don't recognize or no longer use.
2. Do the same for Facebook (Settings and Privacy, Settings, Apps and Websites), Apple ID (Settings, your name, Password and Security), and any other major accounts your family uses.
3. Before installing new apps or games, read what permissions they're requesting. If a flashlight app wants access to your contacts and email, that's a red flag.
4. Create separate email addresses for different purposes. Use one email for banking and important accounts, another for shopping, and another for games and free trials. Make this review a twice yearly habit, perhaps during spring cleaning and before the holidays when you're likely to install new apps and games. Teach older children to ask permission before connecting new apps to family accounts. The fewer connections you maintain, the smaller your family's attack surface becomes. Think of it like limiting the number of keys to your house, only give access to people and services you truly trust.