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The Top 26 Security Predictions for 2026 (Part 2)
Welcome to the second installment of this comprehensive annual look at global cybersecurity industry prediction reports from the top security vendors, publications and thought leaders.
The Top 26 Security Predictions for 2026 (Part 2)
Welcome to the second installment of this comprehensive annual look at global cybersecurity industry prediction reports from the top security vendors, publications and thought leaders.
December 28, 2025 •
[Graphic illustration of computer chip that says 2026 loading]
Adobe Stock
Last week, in part one of “The Top 26 Security Predictions for 2026,” I covered the top 15 cyber industry company reports and offered a summary of industrywide security predictions, forecasts and trends. In part two, we will cover:
- Security Prediction Reports 16 to 26
- Five bonus reports worth a second look
- Honorable mention reports and prediction lists
- Awards for the best reports and predictions in various categories
- My final thoughts on what may be missing from these 2026 security predictions
*Reminder: This ranking covers organizational reports and not just individual predictions. Most reports offer six to 10 predictions or more, and the top reports group their predictions and themes into categories. Also, the research and details behind each security prediction (or trend) offer vital context. I urge readers to visit these companies’ websites, read their full reports (or articles/blogs) and see the details on each item — sometimes in video, PDF or other formats. My goal is to point you in the right direction and encourage you to visit website links for more details. Also, the cutoff date for these prediction lists was Dec. 17, 2025, to allow time for editing and ranking decision work.*
16) Secureframe: Secureframe’s Cybersecurity and Compliance 2026 Benchmark Report is summarized here and can be downloaded for free, and it offers a different approach to cybersecurity trends for 2026. They surveyed over 250 companies, and their top insights can be seen in the list below.
[secureframe chart.gif]
Secureframe is ranked higher given their unique trend insights heading into 2026 (see extensive details on each item at their report). Here are some top takeaways:
1. Cybersecurity is a priority, but remains undersourced.
2. Budgets are growing, but so is pressure.
3. The burden of manual compliance is at a breaking point.
4. AI is both a threat and an essential tool.
5. Compliance has evolved from check box to competitive advantage.
6. Proactive transparency is the new standard for trust.
7. The cost of noncompliance is lost revenue and slower growth. (52 percent of companies were compliant in more than one framework.)
8. Small teams are shouldering big expectations.
On the fifth item: 61 percent needed security compliance to secure contracts, 40 percent used compliance to reach enterprise buyers and 32 percent pursued compliance to satisfy investors or partners.
17) ZeroFox: Zerofox again released a solid report, entitled 2026 Key Forecasts 2025 Conclusions. Their press release is here. Here are some of their cybersecurity predictions (see the report for full details):
- “Generative Artificial Intelligence — In 2026, the use and impact of GenAI is very likely to shape the cyber threat landscape to an even greater extent than observed in 2025. …
- “Geopolitical and Cyber Convergence — Geopolitical developments will very likely influence the cyber threat landscape during 2026, continuing the trend of increasing convergence between the cyber and geopolitical spheres observed in recent years. …
- “Deep and Dark Web (DDW) Landscape — The DDW landscape will almost certainly continue to serve as a hub for actors to share information on evolving TTPs, advertise new malicious tools and services, and recruit new affiliates. …
- “Ransomware and Digital Extortion (R&DE) — R&DE incidents represent an ongoing threat to organizations of all sizes, industries and geographies. 2025 was a record year for R&DE collectives, with more victims identified than in any prior year. The first quarter of 2026 will likely exhibit the highest activity tempo, as observed in Q1 2025.
- “Social Engineering — Social engineering will remain one of the most exploited threat vectors leveraged by malicious actors in 2026 to gain initial network access, conduct fraudulent activity, or steal data. Malicious actors are very likely to continually evolve traditional TTPs, such as phishing, to exploit a network’s human element and circumvent hardened network defenses.
- “Initial Access Brokers (IABs) — IABs are very likely to remain key enablers of the global cybercrime space in 2026 by providing unauthorized network access at scale. The IAB marketplace — which maintained steady growth in 2025 — will likely become more sophisticated, specialized, and automated throughout 2026.”
18) Forbes: My respected colleague Chuck Brooks does a great job again in a report from Forbes titled Cybersecurity 2026: 6 Forecasts and a Blueprint for the Year Ahead. It begins: “As we look ahead to 2026, the cybersecurity landscape is approaching a crucial stage where new technologies, changing threat actors, and altering global dynamics come together to put companies under more pressure than ever before. It’s no longer safe to assume whether we will be breached; instead, we must consider when it will happen and how we will respond. Below are six forecasts, each with a list of things that every security executive should keep in mind.”
Go to the report for details on each item, but, his top six forecasts:
1. “Agentic AI will become the new attack and defense frontier.”
2. “Quantum computing has been a threat on the horizon for a long time. In 2026, we reach a turning point.”
3. “Deepfakes, synthetic media and identity deceptions are on the rise.”
4. “The attack surface grows as IoT, edge and device proliferation grow.”
5. “Cybercrime grows into corporate-class businesses.”
6. “In 2026, the companies that do well will be the ones that see cybersecurity as a strategic pillar for the whole business, not simply an IT cost center.”
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