Veeam Software released the Data Trust and Resilience Report 2026, highlighting a growing gap between perceived cyber resilience and actual recovery outcomes. The report shows that while confidence in recovery is high, real-world performance tells a different story.

The findings are based on insights from more than 900 senior IT, security, and risk leaders worldwide. Notably, 90% of organizations say they are confident in recovering from a cyber incident. However, fewer than one in three ransomware victims fully recovered their data. On average, organizations restored only 72% of affected data after a ransomware attack.

Furthermore, Anand Eswaran, CEO of Veeam Software, said: “Confidence in recovery from a ransomware attack is high, but the data tells a different story and AI is only widening that gap.” He added that data resilience and proof of recovery are now critical, as organizations must secure, govern, and restore trusted data at speed under increasing pressure from attackers and operational failures.

In addition, the report highlights several key findings. While 69% say recovery time objectives (RTOs) align with business continuity goals, only 28% of ransomware-affected organizations fully recovered their data. Meanwhile, 44% recovered less than 75%. Moreover, 42% reported customer disruption, 41% faced financial loss or revenue impact, and 38% experienced extended downtime. Regulatory pressure is also rising, with 33% identifying regulatory shifts as a top emerging threat, close to cyberattacks at 36%.

At the same time, AI is accelerating risk exposure. The report shows 43% of organizations say AI adoption is outpacing their ability to secure data and models. Additionally, 42% lack full visibility into AI tools or models in use. Around 40% have not updated security policies for AI-specific risks, while 25% cite shadow IT and unauthorized AI tools as major concerns.

Importantly, the report identifies four practices linked to stronger recovery outcomes. These include clear visibility into data and AI risk, enforced security controls, proven recovery through testing and validation, and executive alignment on recovery ownership and definitions.

Moreover, organizations increasing cybersecurity budgets show better resilience. About 49% increased cybersecurity spending year-over-year. Those with higher budgets invested more in immutable storage and automated backup, achieving better ransomware recovery outcomes. Full recovery rates were significantly higher among organizations with increased budgets at 40%, compared to 16%.

Overall, the report emphasizes that AI is amplifying both opportunity and risk, making measurable data resilience essential. In conclusion, Veeam Software underscores that recovery is no longer based on confidence alone but on proven capability, control, and validated outcomes.

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