From Legacy to Liability: 2026 Retire Microsoft Access in Financial Firms

Microsoft Access will be 44 years old next year. For sports fans: Warren Moon and Rickey Henderson retired at 44. Entertainers like Michael J. Fox, Gene Hackman retired from acting after 44 years. Like them, Microsoft Access was legendary and next year it turns 44. It is time to retire Microsoft Access if in use in any capacity at your financial firms. I'm not going to mention AI once below.

Why Financial Firms Must Retire Microsoft Access in 2026

In today’s regulatory climate, small to mid-size financial institutions face increasing pressure to safeguard customer data with robust, compliant technologies. Yet, many firms still rely on Microsoft Access—a legacy desktop database system ill-suited for modern security, cloud computing and compliance demands. As we enter 2026, it’s time to critically assess the risks and replace Access with secure, scalable alternatives.

What are the Security Risks and Regulatory Misalignment

Microsoft Access was never designed for enterprise-grade security. Here is a list of 7 gaps:

1. Native encryption. Data kept in Access is not encryption-at-rest.

2. Integration with secure identity platforms

3. Centralized audit logging

4. Ability to work in a cloud computing environment

5. Access databases are often stored locally or on shared drives, making them vulnerable to “walking” away from your premises.

This poses a direct conflict with legislation like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which mandates financial institutions to implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect nonpublic personal information (NPI).

Operational Limitations

Adding to the issue: Access struggles with scalability and collaboration. It has a 2GB file size limit, poor multi-user support, and no native cloud functionality. With the advent of remote work and data-driven decision-making, these limitations hinder productivity and expose firms to operational risk.

Call to Action: Replace Access Now

Fortunately, many modern alternatives exist. Cloud-based platforms like Airtable, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft Power Platform offer secure, scalable, and compliant solutions tailored for financial data management. This is far from an exclusive list.

Be decisive. Don’t wait for a breach or audit to force change. Proactively identify and replace all instances of Microsoft Access across your organization. Microsoft Access has earned its retirement. Auditors and customers alike will thank you.

If you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact Sonareon. We specialize in this type of engagement.