On July 29, 2026, Kiteworks published the 2026 Data Security and Compliance Risk: Annual Survey Report, a survey of 459 security, compliance, and IT leaders across 10 industries and three regions. What the report already knewThe Annual Survey Report scores organizations on two composite measures instead of asking how confident they feel. The Data Security Maturity Score (DSMS) tracks 11 operational security controls; the survey mean came in at 39 out of 100. The Annual Survey Report found purpose binding absent at 74% and kill-switch capability absent at 79%. Tim Freestone is the Chief Strategy Officer at Kiteworks, where he focuses on data security, compliance, and AI governance strategy across regulated industries.