Cybersecurity attacks and data breaches may conjure up an image of a hacker sitting behind a laptop and breaking into a system. However, a breach or malware infection is much more likely to happen because of the misuse or abuse of access privileges. Statistics on attacks initiated via access privilege abuse vary, but research from IBM shows a 71% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks using legitimate login credentials. When access is uncontrolled and excessive, it becomes much more likely that accidental and malicious data exposure will occur.

However, organizations can stop privilege creep. Here’s how to ensure that your employees have the right level of access based on the principle of least privilege.

Definition of privilege creep

Privilege creep occurs when employees and contractors gradually accumulate access rights beyond those needed to perform their jobs. It directly contradicts the principle of least privilege, whereby people have access only to the resources they need to work productively. In 2025, privilege creep remains one of the most underestimated security risks. Whether through role changes, temporary project assignments, or poor offboarding, excessive permissions create hidden vulnerabilities. Privilege abuse, both accidental and intentional, can bypass even the most advanced security controls when left unchecked. Unmanaged and unnecessary permissions lead to opportunities for privilege abuse and misuse, which can come from both insider threats and external attackers.

What is the principle of least privilege?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines least privileged access as "seek(ing) to ensure the right people and things have the right access to the right resources at the right time." Privilege creep breaks the principle of least privilege, preventing an organization from adhering to many standards and regulations, including the ISO 27001 access control policy.

This principle forms the foundation of most cybersecurity frameworks, including zero-trust architecture. Breaking this principle compromises not only internal security but also regulatory compliance, particularly with access control standards such as [ISO 27001](https://www.iso.org/standard/82875.html). In the current regulatory climate, where fines and enforcement are stricter, maintaining least privilege is critical for both security and business continuity.

Why has privilege creep evolved?

In recent years, the explosion of SaaS platforms, remote work, and cross-functional teams has accelerated the problem. Each new tool, project, or vendor relationship introduces potential gaps in access control. Without centralized governance, privilege creep compounds over time. Modern organizations need scalable systems that adapt to constant business change while enforcing strict access control.

Then, there are complications regarding the right level of access permissions for an employee role. For example, HR typically needs to have user access to highly sensitive employee data. Other roles, such as senior management and IT, may also be given greater access privileges than most. Similarly, some staff may need temporary privileges to cover employee leave, specific project work, etc. But what if those privileges aren’t revoked when they’re no longer needed?

Identity sprawl further complicates privilege creep. Companies often use multi-cloud environments running SaaS, with an average of 130 SaaS apps. Uncontrolled identities proliferate, with staff needing multiple IDs — with varying access rights — to access different applications and IT resources. Users may even take on differing  roles, depending on which application they’re currently using. Shadow IT makes this situation even more complex.

So, privilege creep is a natural consequence of loose governance over access rights within a dynamic, distributed system.

The risks of privilege creep

The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) found that privilege misuse was almost entirely internal and, when malicious, usually financially motivated. The report also highlights privilege misuse as one of the top threat vectors.

When you give someone access privileges, you’re handing over a set of keys. Some of those keys open one door but not others. Some privileges may open many doors. Unless you carefully control and manage these privileges, they can be abused or misused. Everything from data-exposure accidents to malicious credential theft is exacerbated when privileges are allowed to creep. And it’s not just employees who experience privilege creep. Privileged users, like supply chain vendors and consultants, may be given too many user privileges — which are often left unrevoked when these relationships end. Once the principle of least privilege is broken, security gaps open — and a variety of threats can become incidents.

Examples of security gaps caused by privilege creep include the following:

• Accidental data exposure from insider threats. Employees may be unaware that they’re leaking sensitive data or sharing with inappropriate personnel.

• Third-party violations leading to data exfiltration

• Unnecessary vendor access to sensitive systems and data, leading to non-compliance

• Cybercriminal targeting of key business roles with heightened privileges, to initiate various cyber-attacks, including business email compromise

• Leveraging software updates delivered via developer workstations, DevOps, and automation tools that have broad access privileges

Best practices to mitigate privilege creep

Preventing privilege creep may seem challenging in dynamic systems that experience SaaS sprawl and identity sprawl, but it is achievable. In 2025, companies that successfully mitigate privilege creep use automation, continuous monitoring, and proactive governance. Manual processes simply cannot keep up with today’s complex access environments. Implementing these best practices ensures that your access control framework scales with your organization’s growth and regulatory obligations.

Use an identity governance and administration tool (IGA) to prevent privilege creep

Without governance, digital identities proliferate, facilitating privilege creep. By deploying an identity governance and administration tool (IGA), you can prevent unnecessary privileges and automate provisioning and de-provisioning. Modern IGA platforms provide visibility across hybrid environments, including SaaS, cloud infrastructure, and shadow IT. They enable organizations to assign, monitor, and revoke access at scale while ensuring adherence to the principle of least privilege. This is critical for enterprises aiming to secure dynamic, distributed environments.

IGA ensures that each role is assigned the right level of access to do the job. IGA can also automate privilege revocation when employees change roles or leave an organization, or assign temporary privileges needed only for the duration of a specified project.

Automate onboarding and offboarding

IT teams can become overloaded when handling many user accounts with data access requests. Handling these requests manually can result in backlogs and productivity bottlenecks. By automating onboarding and offboarding, organizations reduce human error and ensure that access is both timely and tightly controlled. Automation helps close gaps created by slow manual revocation, maintaining security and compliance posture without slowing down operations. Advanced IGA platforms, like [AccessOwl](https://www.accessowl.com), provide a mechanism to automate data access requests and privilege revocation. Using Slack to orchestrate the workflow of these requests ensures a seamless user experience for all stakeholders.

Automate access reviews to stop privilege creep

Privilege creep happens when privileges are uncontrolled and access rights are accumulated with no governance layer. An access review reveals who has access to what apps and data, and under which conditions. An identity governance and administration (IGA) platform, like AccessOwl, performs automated access certification reviews and sends reviewers custom reminders directly via Slack. Once a review is completed, all access changes are processed and documented, and evidence is shared with your auditor. These automated access reviews are an essential part of containing privilege creep.

Shadow IT detection and privilege creep?

Shadow IT is an organization’s Achilles heel, as access privileges are essentially invisible. So being able to detect shadow IT apps is an essential aspect of controlling privilege creep. When employees use unsanctioned apps, the access rights to those apps are outside the control of your organization. Modern IGA solutions offer ways to register shadow IT, facilitating risk assessments on the shadow IT stack. Automated access requests, incorporated as part of the registration and discovery workflow, mitigate shadow IT-related privilege creep.

Best practices for managing access rights as your organization grows

Startups often suffer from privilege creep because of the fluid nature of their staffing and growth trajectory. As a startup’s staff come and go and it expands its operations, access controls can become challenging to manage. The result is privilege accumulation — privilege creep. The multiple roles startups often assign its staff complicates matters, as employees and contractors rapidly move in and out of projects. Having the option to quickly and securely assign and revoke access rights is essential in enforcing least privilege and preventing privilege creep.

Growth amplifies the risk of privilege creep, especially when multiple roles, fast onboarding, and project-based work blur access boundaries. A proactive access governance strategy ensures least privilege is maintained even during rapid scaling. This helps protect both operational integrity and regulatory compliance. The multiple roles startups often assign its staff complicates matters, as employees and contractors rapidly move in and out of projects. Having the option to quickly and securely assign and revoke access rights is essential in enforcing least privilege and preventing privilege creep.