The Cybersecurity Trust Reality 2026 report by Sophos, based on 5,000 organizations from 17 countries, has uncovered a devastating reality.
The most revealing data is that 95% of companies acknowledge not fully trusting their cybersecurity providers.
This positions trust as one of the main weak points of the sector, in a context where threats are increasing and technological complexity continues to grow.
An increasingly complex and difficult to evaluate environment
It is clear that, in mid-2006, the combination of more sophisticated cyberattacks, regulatory pressure, and the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence has raised the bar.
Companies not only need effective solutions but also clear guarantees that those solutions work and are well managed.
The problem is that many organizations do not know how to assess that reliability.
The study shows that 79% have difficulties evaluating new providers and that 62% also fail to do so with current ones.
This lack of clear criteria generates uncertainty and slows down key decisions.
Ross McKerchar, Chief Information Security Officer at Sophos, explains it with a compelling idea: “Trust is not an abstract concept in cybersecurity, but a quantifiable risk factor.” When transparency or maturity of a provider cannot be verified, that doubt directly impacts business strategy.
Distrust already has real consequences
This scenario does not remain a perception. It has direct effects on the functioning of companies. The lack of trust causes delays in decision-making, increases provider turnover, and generates internal frictions between technical teams and management.
Additionally, 51% of organizations acknowledge that this situation increases their concern about the possibility of suffering a serious incident. In other words, distrust not only affects the relationship with providers but also the perception of global risk.
Companies thus find themselves in a complex position: they depend on external solutions to protect themselves but do not fully trust those who offer them.
The underlying problem: lack of transparency and evidence
One of the main factors behind this crisis is the lack of verifiable information. Organizations demand clear evidence on how solutions work, how incidents are managed, and what real level of protection they offer.
However, in many cases, they receive generic messages or promises that are difficult to verify. This feeds the sense of opacity and complicates informed decision-making.
Companies are increasingly seeking independent certifications, external audits, and objective data to support providers’ reliability. Trust is no longer based on reputation but on the ability to demonstrate results.
Regulation and AI raise the bar
The regulatory context is also accelerating this change. New regulations require companies to justify their decisions in cybersecurity, which includes the choice of providers.
Phil Harris, an expert in governance and compliance, points out that this trend is redefining the concept of trust: “Trust is moving from being a marketing message to becoming a justifiable compliance requirement.”
Added to this is the emergence of artificial intelligence, which introduces new doubts. Companies not only evaluate whether a tool is effective but also whether its use is transparent, ethical, and correctly supervised.
A change in the cybersecurity sector?
This report makes it clear that trust has moved from being a secondary element to becoming a central pillar of cybersecurity. It is no longer enough to have the best technology; it is necessary to continuously demonstrate that this technology is reliable.
McKerchar sums it up clearly: “CISOs are asked to demonstrate trust, not to take it for granted.” This implies a profound change for both companies and providers, who must adapt to an environment where transparency and external validation are essential.
