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Perception Gaps in Government and Critical Infrastructure
The State of Secure Communications 2026
The State of Secure Communications 2026
Consumer messaging apps power sensitive communications across government and critical infrastructure, despite never being designed for those environments. Labeled as “encrypted” and optimized for convenience, these platforms create a misleading perception of security. A survey of 700 security decision‑makers, commissioned by BlackBerry, reveals a systemic gap between what leaders believe their communications protect and what they actually protect, a gap increasingly exploited by state‑backed actors who target users without breaking encryption.
Inside the Study: What the Research Found
Six Gaps Between Confidence and Capability
Across every area examined — encryption, device security, sovereignty, certification, crisis response, and quantum readiness — organizations show the same pattern: high confidence, low preparedness. The findings reveal consistent disconnect between the protection organizations believe they have and what their tools actually deliver.
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Ongoing Confusion about End-to-End Encryption
Most organizations trust their messaging apps. Almost the same number don’t fully understand what their encryption actually protects. Resulting in gaps that leave metadata, identity, and device integrity exposed.
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Insufficient Certifications
Security certifications matter to most respondents — yet more than a third still take vendors at their word without independent validation. Assurance isn’t verified; it’s assumed.
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Sovereignty Paradox
More than half demand sovereign control over communications. Almost all of them use consumer platforms that operate on foreign infrastructure that can be turned off, throttled, or denied at the discretion of the host country’s government.
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The Device Blind Spot
Among respondents who view E2EE as comprehensive security, 41 percent believe it protects communications even if devices are compromised, stolen, or infected with malware, creating a false sense of security.
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Crisis Confidence Gap
90 percent of respondents expressed confidence in their organization’s ability to manage major crises, yet less than half of those organizations have unified Critical Event Management platforms to provide those capabilities.
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Quantum Countdown
The gap between the perceived quantum threat timeline (61 percent within five-years) and those that have not yet implemented quantum defenses (77 percent) reflects real procurement and technical constraints for a transition to Post-Quantum Computing.
86 percent of respondents say they would be surprised if their organization's sensitive communications were compromised tomorrow. The confidence is genuine. Whether it is justified is the question this research raises.
The State of Secure Communications 2026
BlackBerry
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Get immediate access to the full 2026 research findings — compliments of BlackBerry. Data from 700 security decision-makers across the US, UK, Canada, and Singapore, with regional breakdowns and sector-specific findings.
Download the studyClose the Gap Between Confidence and Capability
Download the full report and see how your organization compares to 700 security decision-makers who reported high confidence and low preparedness for protecting against six of today's most important security concerns.