Cybit warns UK boards over rising tech risk in 2026
Cybit has published a 2026 Technology Trends Report that flags rising security and operational exposure across UK organisations, despite record digital investment.
The report links the risk to faster adoption of AI, unsettled cloud and virtualisation strategies, and weaknesses in data and identity governance. Cybit said these factors now shape board-level accountability as organisations set their technology priorities for 2026.
Cybit based its findings on regulatory shifts, market changes and what it described as high-profile UK incidents in 2025. It said those incidents showed operational downtime could cause more damage than data loss.
Cloud scrutiny
The report described a loss of confidence in traditional virtualisation and cloud models. It tied this to cost shocks and data sovereignty concerns.
Cybit said organisations now favour hybrid and multi-cloud approaches more often. The report warned that many of those moves happen without governance improvements that would reduce risk.
The report also pointed to legacy virtualisation models as a source of exposure. It said many environments had grown through rapid change and short-term decisions during the pandemic-era shift to digital working.
Cybit said this change now collides with a tighter focus on cost and accountability. It said boards will challenge complexity and unclear ownership more directly in 2026.
AI controls
Cybit said AI initiatives now move faster than the controls that should surround them. It highlighted gaps in identity, data and security controls as a key concern.
The report set out a view that AI adoption without strong data governance increases risk. Cybit linked that risk to decision-making at board level, since AI programmes often cut across business functions and data sources.
The report positioned governance as a deciding factor in whether new tools add exposure. It said AI readiness depends on clearer ownership of data, access rights and security policies.
"2025 was the year in which IT leaders took time to reflect on the covid-enforced digital transformation boom. This fast-paced technology acceleration, along with the corresponding rise of cyber threats, left many with an IT environment that met isolated needs but lacked due diligence around governance and future cost of ownership," said Rob Hankin, Chief Technology Officer, Cybit.
"In 2026, boards will be far less tolerant of complexity, waste and unclear accountability. The businesses that succeed will be those that simplify, govern and build resilience into their technology decisions," said Hankin.
Downtime impact
Cybit's report said security priorities have shifted after incidents in 2025. It said operational downtime proved more damaging than data loss in several cases.
The report framed this as a change in how organisations measure risk and harm. It also suggested that resilience planning now sits alongside data protection and privacy in security programmes.
Cybit said poorly controlled cloud estates add to the exposure. The report linked this to sprawl across tools and suppliers, and to inconsistent policy enforcement across environments.
Early priorities
The report listed actions it said organisations should prioritise in early 2026. These include vendor reassessment, identity governance, AI readiness and workplace optimisation.
Cybit also said organisations will need to reassess cloud and virtualisation choices in light of changing costs and sovereignty expectations. It linked this to a broader market shift, with buyers seeking more predictable operating models and clearer accountability for risk.
Cybit operates across data analytics, AI, cybersecurity, modern workspace, hybrid cloud and managed services. The company said its report reflects changes it expects to shape technology planning and risk management across UK organisations through 2026.