Security in 2026: What Leaders Need to Know
As security leaders plan security strategies for 2026, artificial intelligence will dominate discussions. As AI reshapes the cybersecurity landscape, security leaders must balance their focus on AI with fundamental priorities that will determine their security resilience in the coming year.
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The Threat Landscape Accelerates in 2026
The threat landscape is accelerating at a rapid pace, and attackers are automating significant portions of the attack chain using AI. Whether all the reports about malicious actors and AI are true or not, the risk remains real. Security organizations are facing a future in which the attacks are moving faster than humans can respond. The solution isn't to resist AI adoption, but to embrace it strategically. For instance, agentic AI solutions for incident response are becoming more essential, and organizations must leverage AI to automate routine tasks, increase productivity, and keep pace with their adversaries that are also putting AI to work for them.
This also creates a new task for security teams. They must get visibility into and control over the data that interacts with AI solutions. Enter identity-centric security. Organizations should implement FIDO2-compliant, phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication or passwordless authentication systems. Also important is the management of non-human identities. As organizations deploy more AI agents and automated systems, tracking and securing these digital identities becomes as critical as managing human access.
READ MORE: Is Your Identity Framework Ready for Agentic AI?
How to Prepare for Security in 2026
Organizations in 2026 will need formal insider threat programs that understand normal versus anomalous behavior across users, systems, and applications. Protecting intellectual property demands robust data loss prevention controls and least-privilege access, but these protections will only work when assets are identified and classified first.
Training and development for staff should also not be overlooked in 2026. Role-based security training, insider threat awareness, and education about deepfakes and synthetic media are essential. Security teams will need technical training, while business users should be educated on the safe and ethical use of AI.
Organizations must also regularly test their plans around incident response and perform crisis simulations through various exercises and drills. People should also be consistently trained on how to respond to both physical and cyber threats.
READ MORE: The Looming 2026 Challenge: Failed AI Deployments
What to Consider for Security in 2026
As security budgets remain mostly flat—and in some cases shrink—organizations must do more with less, which makes AI tools even more attractive. Security leaders must still carefully vet any solutions prior to implementation and proven deployment success.
Organizations must also build their business resilience strategies on repeatable methodologies and risk quantification approaches. For most organizations, detailed roadmaps should extend one to three years. Longer planning cycles risk obsolescence unless it's in large-scale environments, such as government, where change naturally takes longer to implement.
Robust security is no longer a defensive necessity. It's a business enabler essential for operational continuity. Leaders who align security and business objectives while embracing technological evolution will be best positioned for challenges in 2026.
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Get the Latest Analysis on the CISO Talent Landscape
Cybersecurity faces a persistent talent shortage. With CISOs struggling to staff critical security roles and retain existing employees, understaffed teams are left to execute critical security initiatives. Download the 2025 CISO Compensation Benchmark Snapshot Report and use benchmark data to refine staffing, negotiate pay bands, and secure budgets for top talent. To request the full 36-page report, please contact us.
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