Is compliance complexity outpacing IT capacity?

### Executive summary — This Sophos-commissioned survey of 5,000 IT and cybersecurity leaders (early 2026) finds organizations face substantial compliance burdens: respondents follow a median of five standards, 82% are concerned they may not be fully compliant, 39% of IT/security time is spent on compliance, and 79% struggle to keep up with changing requirements, with smaller businesses disproportionately impacted.