SailPoint has released its Horizons of Identity Security 2025-2026 report, which reveals how identity security has become mission-critical for the modern enterprise. Once a back-office control, identity has now transformed into a strategic platform that fuels agility, efficiency, and AI enablement – all grounded in security – helping enterprises unlock new avenues for growth.
“As organizations navigate a rapidly changing landscape, the report indicates that identity has become the top ROI generator in the security stack—helping enterprises cut costs, reduce risk, and accelerate growth,” said Matt Mills, President, SailPoint. “Today, identity is the central control point where policies are enforced, critical decisions are made, and security operations converge. Its future is tightly connected to security and AI-driven data governance, enabling enterprises to manage every identity—human, machine or AI agent—across the enterprise. With advances in AI, data management, and threat detection, modern identity security now delivers the unified visibility, expanded governance, and automated resilience organizations need.”
Mills added, “Those advancing further across the Horizons are recognizing identity’s strategic role and reaping outsized benefits—positioning identity security as a key enabler of business performance.”
Report findings
- Identity maturity gap widens – 63% remain stuck at basic levels as advanced programs surge ahead.
- AI adoption multiplies success – Organizations with AI-enabled identity security are 4x more likely to deploy advanced capabilities unlocking greater cost savings, productivity and risk reduction
- Deployment best practices overcome barriers – Organizations that prioritize data cleanup before migration and adopt stage-appropriate practices like automated app onboarding are significantly more likely to advance.
- Identity + data + security trifecta – Enterprises that unify identity as the control point, strengthen data practices, and advance security controls achieve higher ROI and greater AI readiness.
