- Most IT teams are concerned about data security, especially around hybrid cloud.
- The entire database needs to be rewritten to improve quality and prepare for AI
- Companies are also struggling with a lack of talent and existing systems.
According to new research from Rocket Software, more than two in three IT leaders (69%) agree that data security is their top modernization concern for 2026, and just a third of them feel “extremely confident” of passing their next regulatory audit.
The report reveals that the highest confidence is around insider threats: almost four in five people (78%) believe they can detect them.
Instead, most IT leaders are concerned about the evolving complexity of hybrid IT, with half (51%) saying that bridging cloud and on-premises environments is a major challenge.
Data security is a top priority, but it requires a lot of work
Currently, data quality (62%), access control (52%), secure data movement (50%), governance consistency (46%), and rising storage costs (45%) all pose barriers to hybrid cloud security.
Then there’s the fact that insufficient modernization efforts so far are only adding to the pressure: 48% of companies still rely on legacy systems for critical operations and 52% struggle to find skilled workers. Only 35% believe their teams have the skills to support current systems.
Unsurprisingly, Rocket Software touted AI tools as a potential solution, noting its perceived impacts on security and fraud detection, internal process optimization and customer experience.
But even that is not without its challenges, with only a quarter being “extremely confident” in the ability of their current infrastructure to support AI. So, alongside investments in data security, two out of three companies are also prioritizing data accessibility for AI systems.
“This research clearly shows that IT leaders need integrated, secure ways to connect data and applications between core systems and the cloud,” concluded Michael Curry, president of the Data Modernization business unit.
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