Perforce Software, the modern DevOps Tech Stack that ensures AI governance, announced the release of its third annual State of Data Compliance and Security Report.
Based on a global survey of more than 500 enterprise leaders conducted in partnership with Hanover Research, the report reveals a disconnect between how confident organizations feel about protecting sensitive data and the risks they are exposed to, like data breaches and audit failures. The findings reflect the perspectives of leaders at large enterprises, primarily ones generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue and employing 25,000 or more people.
The report reveals that while data masking policies are widely adopted, they are not consistently enforced. 99% of organizations have data masking mandates in place, yet 84% still allow compliance exceptions.
Further, 98% of survey respondents report confidence in their ability to protect sensitive data. However, organizations continue to face persistent risks, barriers, and compliance gaps:
- 77% are concerned about data breaches or theft in non-production environments.
- 74% are concerned about audit failures.
- Most alarmingly, 43% have already experienced audit failures, and 34% experienced breaches or theft.
“We’re seeing a contradiction in the data: strong confidence despite concerns and real-world risks,” said Ross Millenacker, Senior Product Manager for Perforce Delphix and one of the report’s authors. “That tension highlights how challenging it is to protect sensitive data at scale without the right solutions, particularly as organizations expand into agentic development.”