Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning,
Cybercrime,
Fraud Management & Cybercrime
Cybersecurity Experts Predict Future Trends with Emphasis on Cyberattacks, Deepfakes, and AI
In 2025, the landscape of cybersecurity was largely characterized by cyberattacks, state-sponsored hacking, and significant geopolitical events. This year marked a pivotal moment where artificial intelligence blurred the lines between authenticity and deception, with AI technologies fostering new risks in enterprise environments.
See Also: AI Browsers: The New Trojan Horse?
As we look toward 2026, questions arise regarding the potential rise in threats and whether this will be the year AI cements its role in both cyberattacks and defensive operations. A panel of cybersecurity professionals, analysts, and educators has weighed in with their insights on the ten key trends expected to shape the coming year.
The first trend highlights how AI-generated identities may facilitate significant “synthetic access” breaches, challenging existing security protocols. Following closely, the rise of deepfake technology is poised to escalate, posing threats not only to corporate structures but also to geopolitical stability through coordinated misinformation campaigns.
Moreover, the emergence of fully autonomous cyberattack chains will mark a new era of automated threats capable of executing sophisticated attack sequences without human intervention. As organizations continue to grapple with “shadow AI,” a phenomenon likely to eclipse traditional shadow IT, the risk landscape is anticipated to evolve considerably.
Another notable trend is the increasing allocation of IT budgets towards quantum readiness, reflecting a growing awareness of quantum computing’s implications for cybersecurity. Meanwhile, as geopolitical tensions reshape the internet’s infrastructure and supply chains, expect a fragmentation into distinct “AI blocs.”
Enterprises will also need to focus on the integrity of AI model and API supply chains, which could reveal vulnerabilities leading to significant security blind spots. As ransomware tactics evolve, a new form of extortion involving synthetic data leaks might become prevalent, coupled with AI-driven manipulations of recovery systems that present additional vulnerabilities for organizations.
Finally, the industry anticipates a rise in AI fatigue, driven by escalating costs and underwhelming results from enterprise initiatives, posing new challenges for business leaders. The evolving role of AI in cybersecurity requires constant vigilance and adaptation.
Guest Speakers
- Jeff Pollard, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester
- Richard Bird, Chief Security Officer, Singulr AI
- John Kindervag, Chief Evangelist, Illumio
- Allie Mellen, Principal Analyst, Forrester
- Brandy Harris, Director, CyberEd.io
- Jeremy Grant, Managing Director, Technology Business Strategy, Venable LLP
- Jonathan Armstrong, Partner, Punter Southall Law
- Heather Lowrie, Former CISO, Educator and Founder, Resilionix
