Mid-Sized Firms Face Highest Rates of Unauthorized Data Access

According to the 2026 Data and Identity Security Report from Netwrix, mid-sized firms are caught in a difficult transition. While their operations have become complex enough to require sophisticated oversight, many lack the dedicated personnel or advanced security tools found in larger corporations. This mismatch leaves these organizations with limited visibility into where sensitive data resides and which identities maintain access to it. Eighty percent of these firms report an inability to achieve a unified view of their security landscape.

Grady Summers, CEO of Netwrix, noted that this specific segment of the market faces an awkward developmental phase. The research indicates that 70% of these mid-sized organizations manage privileged accounts with standing access to sensitive systems, yet only 18% utilize automated processes to revoke that access when it is no longer required. Furthermore, the rise of AI and automation has complicated the environment, with 67% of these companies reporting an increase in the number of identities capable of accessing sensitive information.

The consequences of these security gaps are substantial. Among organizations that experienced unauthorized access, 56% estimated the financial impact exceeded $100,000, while nearly half reported significant operational disruption and damage to customer trust. Despite these incidents, a high level of misplaced confidence persists: 87% of affected organizations believed their Active Directory was free of misconfigurations that could allow for privilege escalation.