Cloud Adoption Grows in Ibero-America Amid Security Concerns

In Ibero-America, over 80% of organizations are in advanced stages of adopting cloud technologies. However, most of these organizations identify cybersecurity as a critical challenge that conditions the continuity and effectiveness of this transition, reveals the study Cloud and Security in Ibero-America 2025 by NTT DATA and MIT Technology Review.

"Many organizations have not yet reached maturity in their business readiness and need to adopt AI, ensure security, control costs, and modernize their processes," says Roberto García, Director of Digital Architecture in Iberia and Latin America, NTT DATA.

The adoption of cloud technologies has ceased to be an exclusively technical approach to become a comprehensive organizational strategy that articulates innovation, scalability, and resilience. In this process, cybersecurity has come to occupy a central place in decision making, driven by the need to mitigate risks in increasingly interconnected environments exposed to complex threats.

The study prepared by NTT DATA in collaboration with MIT Technology Review is based on 107 surveys of cloud technology leaders and experts, as well as 10 interviews with C-Level executives from companies in different sectors in Latin America. Respondents represent private organizations (89.72%), public sector (7.48%), startups (0.93%) and non-governmental organizations (1.87%) from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Portugal.

The report points out that over 80% of the participating organizations are already in advanced stages of cloud adoption. Specifically, 35.51% are in full implementation of cloud solutions, while only 1.87% have not yet begun the transition. 

However, the process is not free of structural challenges. Cybersecurity was identified by 80.38% of respondents as the main challenge, above other factors such as infrastructure management or talent training. Sectors such as banking, finance, and oil and gas have adopted robust strategies, such as Zero Trust models and AI-based detection tools, to strengthen data protection in their digital environments.

Internal flexibility and change management are other critical barriers, according to 49.5% of surveyed companies. This suggests that the success of a cloud strategy depends not only on the technology implemented, but also on its integration into a corporate culture that supports digital transformation with leadership and strategic vision.

Cost control appears to be a growing priority. Organizations have developed greater budgetary maturity, adopting optimization models that allow them to allocate investments more efficiently and sustainably over time. This translates into cloud migration plans that include automation, containerization, and predictive analytics as operational efficiency mechanisms.

The study points to the need to rethink digital transformation strategies. García suggests defining an objective model for the modernization of applications and moving towards automations based on Generative AI, as a key step to scale capabilities and strengthen organizational cyber resilience.

The future of the cloud will be defined by the convergence with emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and edge computing, says Jesús Sánchez, Director of Digital Architecture, NTT DATA Mexico. To respond to this next wave of innovation, organizations will need to adopt flexible architecture schemes that integrate adaptive and rapid response capabilities to new regulatory, operational, and technological demands.

The incorporation of advanced protection capabilities and regulatory compliance mechanisms is essential to ensure business continuity, says Sánchez. The evolution of the cloud model in Ibero-America requires a holistic approach that combines technology, governance, organizational culture, and long-term vision, reports the study.