The 2026 Enterprise File Security Report
Files are under sustained attack, and AI is intensifying both the threats coming in and the data leaking out. More than 40% of organizations have already suffered a file-related breach, at an average cost of $2.2M.
A new study from Osterman Research, sponsored by OPSWAT, finds that security leaders believe their defenses are stronger than the evidence shows. That gap will only widen as AI-powered threats accelerate.
Files Are Under Sustained Attack. AI is Raising the Stakes.
Osterman Research asked 254 IT and security leaders how they defend files across the entire lifecycle, then scored their answers against the evidence. Three findings stand out.
59%
Don’t Let Your Defenses Stand Still.
A growing majority of security leaders expect AI to make file security more difficult for their teams over the next 12 months. Concern about data moving unchecked through generative AI tools is climbing faster than any other file threat in the study.
74%
Don’t Mistake One for the Other.
Nearly three quarters rate their file security as very or extremely mature. Scored against their own survey answers, not one organization reached the top tier. See what evidenced maturity actually looks like, and how far most organizations are from it.
68%
Don’t Assume You Are Not a Target.
More than two thirds of security leaders say cybercriminals are more focused on circumventing their file security protections than they were 12 months ago. See which routes into the organization carry the most risk.
Something Needs to Change. Empower Your Organization with Data.
Get the full Osterman Research report and see what separates companies closing the file security gap from the ones that don't know they have one.
