Midmarket CIO Priorities for 2026 - Why AI Can’t Move Faster Than Your Data Security

In the latest episode of Ready.Set.Midmarket!, Samara Lynn, senior editor of MES Computing, sits down with Ron Reiter, CTO and co‑founder of Sentra, to break down what midmarket IT leaders must get right before rolling out AI at scale. Reiter makes a clear case that AI doesn’t just improve productivity—it magnifies existing data security gaps. When organizations enable tools like Copilot or enterprise AI assistants without a solid data access governance model, AI can instantly surface sensitive information that previously went unnoticed. The conversation explores why data visibility has become one of the most urgent CIO priorities for 2026, how CISOs and CIOs can align instead of clash, and why midmarket organizations can’t afford to “lock everything down” in the name of security. Instead, Reiter argues, leaders need technology that enables teams to run fast and secure at the same time. 🎧 Watch the full episode to hear: Why AI acts as an accelerator for both productivity and risk How midmarket IT teams can prepare decades of data for AI without massive headcount The one metric CIOs should stop relying on in 2026 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.