A recent survey reveals that organizations struggle with data visibility, impacting their security stance as artificial intelligence (AI) adoption increases. The Bedrock Security 2025 Enterprise Data Security Confidence Index shows that 82% of U.S. cybersecurity professionals at companies with over 1,000 employees identify significant gaps in tracking sensitive information.

Over half of respondents (53%) lack continuous and up-to-date visibility of data, with many taking days or weeks to locate sensitive assets, which heightens risks amid the rising costs associated with data breaches, now averaging nearly $5 million. Security teams navigate a complex environment, with data generated across multiple platforms creating blind spots, making timely identification challenging.

“Organizations now generate, copy and store data across multiple environments,” said Bruno Kurtic, CEO of Bedrock Security. He noted that 76% of firms cannot provide complete data asset inventories quickly, and a majority lack timely access to critical data usage information. Almost 70% of CISOs report new responsibilities in data discovery related to AI, highlighting a broad shift as roles evolve.

According to the survey, less than half (48%) of organizations express confidence in managing sensitive data used for AI and machine learning. Respondents outlined significant barriers faced in data security, correlating with the complexities of managing multiple cloud environments, automation challenges, and the need for better classification and visibility.

As companies prepare for future challenges, they prioritize strengthening AI data usage governance and enhancing policy enforcement across their cloud environments, indicating a shift toward a more data-centric focus in security operations.