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Axiom GRC Launches White Paper: The Future of Governance, Risk and Compliance, 2026 Trends

Rebecca Johnson

2026 is set to be a defining year in governance, risk and compliance. AI adoption is racing ahead of governance, cyber threats are scaling faster than traditional controls, supply chains are exposing hidden weak links, and a new wave of labour and data regulation is redefining the rules of the game.

For GRC leaders, the question is no longer “What’s changing?” but
“How do we stay ahead of the change before it becomes noise?”

Every year we rigorously survey our customer base. It’s good for our business. Thousands of professionals: business owners, heads of risk, compliance, health & safety, InfoSec, cyber security or HR all informing how we build our solutions and products. These thousands of clients have their ear to the ground on the most relevant forces affecting the governance, risk and compliance landscape, and who like Axiom GRC, seek to respond to the signal of change before the noise.

We recognise that these survey results are an invaluable insight into the forces shaping the GRC landscape. And so, in the hope, that by distributing the key trends highlighted by our surveying, we are now publishing their results as part of annual whitepaper focussed on helping the GRC community navigate the challenges ahead.

It is this intelligence – combined with the expertise of several Axiom GRC experts – that we have used to identify the key themes that will define GRC in 2026 and beyond.

Today, we are proud to launch:

The Future of Governance, Risk and Compliance: 2026 Trends
Axiom GRC’s first annual white paper.

This year’s research reveals not just what is changing, but why, how and what leaders must do now to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.

Download White Paper

The four themes driving GRC in 2026 and beyond

The white paper examines these themes in depth, helping GRC leaders recognise the signals driving the future of governance and compliance.

Theme 1: AI Is Outpacing Governance, and Creating a Growing Compliance Gap

Our research found:

  • 84% of workers already use AI tools at work.
  • Only 13.5% of organisations have a formal AI policy.
  • 41% have implemented no preventative measures for AI-driven compliance risks.
  • Accountability for AI governance is inconsistent and often unclear.
  • Shadow AI is proliferating as employees adopt tools without approval.

This is one of the strongest signals shaping 2026:
AI offers extraordinary opportunity – but its risks grow faster when governance lags behind.

The white paper explores:

  • Where AI adoption is happening fastest
  • The ethical and compliance risks respondents are most concerned about
  • Why AI governance roles will rise sharply in 2026
  • How specialist AI is transforming risk management and compliance eLearning
  • The policies, training and controls organisations must prioritise now

For GRC leaders, AI governance is no longer a theoretical conversation, it is a practical, immediate requirement.

Theme 2: Cyber Risk Is the Most Immediate and Dangerous Threat

Across industries and countries, cyber security is the most consistent concern among GRC professionals.

Our research highlights:

  • Cyber attacks have surpassed historical levels.
  • 95% of successful breaches are caused by human error.
  • Ransomware-as-a-Service is fuelling attack volume and sophistication.
  • Legacy technology is creating hidden vulnerabilities.
  • Supply chain breaches are now the fastest-growing point of entry.

The white paper offers guidance on:

  • Building a human-led security culture
  • When Zero Trust works, and when it becomes impractical
  • Strengthening supply chain cyber governance
  • Preparing for quantum-enabled threats
  • The most effective resilience measures organisations must adopt

The message is clear:
Cyber is no longer a technology issue, it’s a GRC imperative.

Theme 3: GRC Must Become Interconnected: Fragmented Governance Creates Risk

One of the clearest findings from our research is that organisations continue to treat risk in silos. But as risks become more interdependent, including, AI, cyber, data protection, supply chain, health & safety – the cost of fragmentation is rising.

We found:

  • Only 42% of organisations require suppliers to meet their data or AI standards.
  • Interdependency risk in supply chains and facilities is widely underestimated.
  • Disconnected systems create blind spots and slow escalation.
  • Cross-functional collaboration remains inconsistent across organisations.

The white paper demonstrates how GRC leaders can build a single vantage point that connects risk, compliance, data, cyber, HR and operational functions, reducing duplication, improving visibility and accelerating response.

Unified governance isn’t a technology trend; it’s a strategic requirement for resilience.

Theme 4: Regulatory Change – Particularly Labour and Data Laws – Will Redraw the Governance Landscape

Two major UK reforms will shape organisational governance in 2026:

Employment Rights Bill

Our research shows that:

  • Only 2% of organisations feel “very prepared”.
  • HR and legal teams expect significant implications for tribunal risk and workforce models.

Data (Use and Access) Act (DUAA)

The most significant change to UK data protection since GDPR.
Leaders highlighted:

  • Governance and training as the hardest areas to update
  • Vendor oversight as a major challenge
  • Human error as the top concern

The white paper includes readiness checklists and guidance to help organisations prepare for both reforms before they create operational and compliance noise.

Why This Matters: Axiom’s Research Helps Leaders See the Signal, Not the Noise

The real value of this white paper lies in its vantage point.

By combining:

  • Thousands of data points from organisations worldwide
  • Specialist insight from compliance professionals
  • Trends from cyber, data protection, employment law, risk management, health & safety and eLearning
  • Real-world challenges experienced by 40,000 clients

This white paper is designed to help GRC leaders:

  • Make informed decisions early
  • Break down governance silos
  • Prepare for regulatory change
  • Strengthen cyber and AI oversight
  • Build resilience across complex, interconnected systems

Download the 2026 Trends White Paper

If you are responsible for governance, risk, compliance or organisational resilience, this paper is an essential guide to the themes shaping 2026 and the years beyond.

Download White Paper

If you’d like to explore the findings in the context of your organisation, our specialist teams across the Axiom GRC platform are ready to support.