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58% of organizations have more than 100,000 folders open to all employees

1 min read
Published March 29, 2020
Last updated January 17, 2023

Like a wardrobe malfunction during a live broadcast, no one wants to be overexposed – especially when it comes to your data.

The surprising truth: most companies go about their business blithely unaware that some of their most sensitive data is wide open. And by “some” we mean a lot. In fact, our latest research shows that 41% of organizations had at least 1,000 sensitive files open to all employees.

As we know, it only takes one leaked file to cause a headline-making data breach. We’ve seen how one unpatched server can lead to a disaster; a single “unpatched” folder filled with sensitive files can be just as disastrous — and it doesn’t take an expert or sophisticated code to exploit it.

That’s where Varonis Data Risk Assessments come in. Every year, Varonis conducts thousands of risk assessments for companies around the globe. Using the Varonis Data Security Platform (DSP), we identify where sensitive and regulated data resides, show what’s overexposed and vulnerable, and provide actionable recommendations to increase your data security posture. Think of a Data Risk Assessment as a reality check on your data – that friend who tells you you’ve got a button undone. And they’re free (but more on that later).

We examined a random sample of Data Risk Assessments to understand just how exposed companies really are when it comes to their critical data. The results are now available in Data Under Attack: 2018 Global Data Risk Report from the Varonis Data Lab.

Findings from the report include:

  • 58% of organizations have more than 100,000 folders open to all employees
  • 21% of folders were accessible to every employee
  • 41% had at least 1,000 sensitive files open to all employees
  • On average, 54% of an organization’s data was stale, which adds to storage costs and complicates data management
  • On average, 34% of user accounts are enabled, but stale, “ghost” users who still have access to files and folders
  • 46% of organizations had more than 1,000 users with passwords that never expire

2018 Global Data Risk Report

Read the full report Data Under Attack: 2018 Global Data Risk Report from the Varonis Data Lab.

Did we mention Data Risk Assessments are free?* Learn more today and request yours at https://info.varonis.com/start

*So you’re the kind of person who likes to read the fine print (so are we). Yes, they’re actually free.

What you should do now

Below are three ways we can help you begin your journey to reducing data risk at your company:

  1. Schedule a demo session with us, where we can show you around, answer your questions, and help you see if Varonis is right for you.
  2. Download our free report and learn the risks associated with SaaS data exposure.
  3. Share this blog post with someone you know who'd enjoy reading it. Share it with them via email, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Facebook.
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