The article says many UK employees keep access to company spreadsheets long after they no longer need it, creating a quiet but serious data-leak risk. Research commissioned by Proton and based on a survey of 250 UK SMBs found 64% of respondents still had access to files they shouldn’t, sometimes including financials, client data, salaries, or internal plans. Because spreadsheets are often used as “informal systems of record” (project management, financial reporting, customer management), this lingering access could expose sensitive business information at scale—especially given how many people work in UK SMBs.

It argues the main causes are weak sharing and weak offboarding. Nearly 39% said they share spreadsheets with “anyone with the link,” and 20% review access only once a year; removals are often manual (44%) rather than automated (36%). The study also flags confusion about cloud privacy and provider access (many assume Google Sheets is inherently private; many are unsure what Microsoft can see), plus risky behavior like mixing personal and work cloud accounts. The takeaway is that “everyday collaboration” tools can create enterprise-grade risk unless companies tighten link-sharing defaults, automate offboarding, and regularly audit who still has access.

Source: https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2026/01/23/more-than-half-of-former-uk-employees-still-have-access-to-company-spreadsheets-study-finds