Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study
A Shifting Paradigm: Governance in the Age of AI
About the study
The Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study — the ninth in this series — sheds light on the evolution of privacy programs within organizations around the world, highlighting a clear pattern — AI ambition is outpacing readiness. Organizations are taking on new responsibilities around AI and data governance, AI ethics, expanded transparency and explainability, and contractual precision, but are not fully prepared.
This double-blind study is based on a survey of over 5,200 IT, technology and security professionals with data privacy responsibilities based in 12 markets around the world.
Learn more in this Cisco Newsroom article by Dev Stahlkopf, Cisco EVP, Legal, and blog by Cisco Chief Privacy Officer, Harvey Jang.
Key findings
Concerns around safety and security drive data localization decisions.
AI Reshapes Privacy's Scope
90%
report their privacy programs have expanded due to AI
43%
increased privacy spending in the past year
93%
plan to allocate more resources into privacy and data governance over the next two years
AI Governance Gap
Transparency Drives Trust
23%
of organizations still lack a dedicated AI governance committee
12%
describe existing governance committees as mature and proactive
46%
identify clear communication about data use as the most effective action to build customer confidence
