Last year, Keepit predicted that 2025 would be the year SaaS data protection stops being optional and becomes a must-have — as data volume increases, API strain grows, and practical AI solutions start to win over hype.
Now, as we look ahead to 2026, our view sharpens. The growing complexity across cloud, hybrid, compliance and threat landscapes forces us to confront three truths: first, protecting cloud data must become non-negotiable; second, AI should be used deliberately to defend, not just to automate; third, compliance and regulatory pressure are reshaping how and where data lives.
Here are four hard-edged predictions from Keepit’s expert voices — each built on real trends and a clear roadmap, not marketing fluff.
- AI offense evolves faster than defense — unless leaders demand transparency
Kim Larsen, Chief Information Security Officer
AI-driven attacks will become highly adaptive. By 2026, adversaries will use AI systems that map entire infrastructures in seconds, identify weak links deep in the supply chain, and shift tactics in real time to bypass defenses. Hybrid warfare will amplify this trend as hostile actors blend geopolitical intent with AI-enabled automation at scale.
Defenders will match this only if they adopt AI with intention and transparency. Security teams will use AI to understand exposure, strengthen detection, and model where risk concentrates. But success will depend on knowing how an AI system works, what data it relies on, and how decisions are made. CISOs will demand clarity, control, and accountability. The organizations that win will be those that use AI to enhance—not replace—human judgment.
- Hybrid is back—and so is the race for skills
Jakob Østergaard, Chief Technology Officer
Hybrid environments will grow faster than anyone expected. After years of cloud-first narratives, companies are re-evaluating what belongs where. Political instability, rising sovereignty requirements, and cost pressures are pushing critical workloads back on-premise. Servers, storage systems, and licensed software are seeing a resurgence because organizations want balance, not absolutism.
This shift exposes the growing skills gap. Demand for deep technical expertise in networking, Linux, and systems engineering is accelerating while talent inflow is shrinking. By 2026, this shortage will influence everything from innovation speed to resilience planning.
Meanwhile, quantum and AI will face a public reckoning. The promise of crypto-breaking quantum machines and near-term AGI will give way to more realistic timelines. Investments will continue, but the narrative will mature as enterprises look for practical, defensible value rather than speculative breakthroughs.
- AI stays practical in 2026, while modernization remains the real priority
Niels van Ingen, SVP Business Development and Strategy
AI adoption in 2026 will feel familiar. Most enterprises will continue using agentic AI to automate repeatable tasks and augment existing processes, not reinvent them. Only one in 5 organizations report getting meaningful value from their AI tools at the current time with key adoptions challenges being cost and lack of control mechanisms in context of the desired outcomes. Autonomous business intelligence will remain niche because the foundations including infrastructure required are simply not ready: data quality, governance maturity, and organizational skills still lag far behind the ambition.
Modernization efforts will remain the primary focus. Companies will keep working through the practical realities and motions to replace platforms like VMware and Citrix, while using SaaS to accelerate outcomes where it makes sense. At the same time, compliance and regulatory pressure will intensify. Leaders will need a clear understanding of sovereignty requirements, new operating models, and the talent divide between “old way” and “new way” practitioners.
In 2026, CIOs will be planning for what IT must look like in 2030. The problems they solve today will not be the ones they face next and there is a lot of pressure on the IT suite to ensure companies are ready and competitive as the AI transformation gains momentum.
- Compliance goes default: NIS2 and DORA will reshape every SaaS RFP
Jan Ursi, VP Global Channels
By 2026, compliance expectations will become embedded in nearly every SaaS data protection RFP. Requirements tied to NIS2 and DORA will shift from “requested” to “assumed,” especially in finance, energy, healthcare, and the public sector. Organizations will insist on local digital sovereignty: data stored in-region, zero sub-processors, and guaranteed access even if the original SaaS platform is unavailable.
Because many companies are still in the early stages of meeting these regulations, demand will rise sharply as deadlines tighten. Local partners will play an essential role. They understand national sovereignty rules, infrastructure constraints, and the operational realities of regulated industries. As a result, the channel will become a core enabler of compliant SaaS adoption, not an afterthought.
About Keepit
Keepit provides a next-level SaaS data protection platform purpose-built for the cloud. Securing data in a vendor-independent cloud safeguards , boosts cyber resilience, and future-proofs data protection. Unique, separate, and immutable data storage with no sub-processors ensures compliance with local regulations and mitigates the impact of ransomware while guaranteeing continuous data access, business continuity, and fast and effective disaster recovery. Headquartered in Copenhagen with offices and data centers worldwide, over 20,000 companies trust Keepit for its ease of use and effortless backup and recovery of cloud data.
New survey shows majority of Canadians and Americans think about data privacy before shopping with a company
Posted in Commentary with tags Telus on December 17, 2025 by itnerdThis holiday season, while shoppers search for the perfect gifts and best deals, they’re also navigating countless requests for their personal information. An email address for the receipt? A phone number for delivery updates? According to the latest TELUS Data Trust Survey, Canadian and American shoppers are increasingly pausing to consider their privacy: What am I getting in return? What are you doing with my data? This shift toward intentional data sharing means retailers must demonstrate clear benefits – convenience, savings, or better service – and respect for customers’ data privacy in order to build the trust required for customers to hand over their information and do business with them.
The survey reveals that 78% of Canadians and 80% of Americans are more likely to buy from companies they trust. In fact, 70% of Canadians and 72% of Americans actively consider respect for their data privacy when deciding whether to trust a company. Yet confidence in organizations remains low. Only 39% of Canadians believe Canadian organizations respect data privacy – and just 19% say the same about American organizations. Americans share similar concerns, with only 37% believing that U.S. organizations respect data privacy and 31% saying they believe Canadian organizations respect data privacy. For the two-thirds of consumers who prioritize data privacy and trust over convenience (66% of Canadians and 71% of Americans), trust has become a deal-breaker.
As shoppers navigate deals and digital offers this season, they’re paying close attention to how companies handle their personal information. Here are some questions they can consider before they buy:
Clarity matters
Safety first
Built-in trust
Consumers have the power to choose companies that deserve their trust. By asking the right questions about privacy and data practices, shoppers can ensure their personal information is treated with the same respect as their hard-earned money.
Learn about TELUS’ commitment to data and trust by visiting: telus.com/trust.
About the survey
The statistics found in this release are taken from our 2025 AI & Data Trust research study. This study polled 5,487 Canadian members and 6,109 American members of Leger’s online panel from September 2 to 28, 2025. These numbers includes a sample of the population of Canada and America that matches the census in terms of age, gender, and region, with boosts in demographic groups including women, youth (12–18 years old), Indigenous Peoples, Black women, LGBTQ2S+, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals, seniors, immigrant populations (past five years), and racialized groups historically underrepresented in Canada (e.g., South Asian, Chinese, Black).
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