The Security Gap You Can't Patch: What 45 Businesses Told Us About Zero Trust and AI

New research reveals the access hygiene problem hiding in plain sight — and why IT teams are ready for a different kind of fix.

Most security breaches don't start with a sophisticated attack. They start with access that should have been revoked months ago.

OpenVPN surveyed 45 IT and business leaders about how their organizations actually manage network access, what they really think about Zero Trust, and where they stand on AI in security tools. The findings are specific, sometimes uncomfortable, and directly actionable.

Download the free report to see where your organization stands — and what to do about it.

Key takeaways: 

• 40% of employees have had access to sensitive data beyond what their role requires — and most organizations are slow to change that when roles shift.
• Zero Trust is still widely misunderstood, even among IT professionals — and the research reveals which framing actually moves skeptical audiences.
• Compliance, not breach risk, is the #1 driver of ZTNA adoption — a finding that changes how to build the internal business case.
• The real barrier to Zero Trust adoption isn't cost — the data points to something more addressable, and more common.
• 68% of IT professionals would use AI features in their security platform — but a striking gap exists between stated comfort and actual willingness to act.

Want a look?

Download the full research report here.