2026 feels like a turning point for cybersecurity (although we’ve perhaps been saying this for several years now). Looking at the insights from the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, it’s clear that cyber risk is moving faster than many organisations can cope with.
From my perspective as Head of Cyber at Atom, we’re currently seeing a landscape where cyber threats, technology adoption, and geopolitical uncertainty are evolving all at once. There’s this duality of cybersecurity where, on one hand, we see a lot of innovation and great cybersecurity risks on the other.
AI as the primary driver of cyber risk
The rise and advancements of AI are progressing faster than ever. With this, it’s no wonder that the world’s most talked about technological field is reshaping both defensive cybersecurity and attacker capabilities. We see organisations embracing AI to strengthen threat detection, automate defences and improve operations. However, attackers are using the same technologies to create more threats. This results in a race between the two.
Although many organisations are actively assessing the security of the AI tools they use, it still introduces new attack surfaces. Vulnerabilities and imperfections tied to AI systems are among the fastest-growing risk categories, with automation embedded in core business processes.
What does this all mean for the business on the street? Essentially, all organisations will need to move from basic awareness of AI to a more formal AI risk governance posture as these tools become embedded in our lives. For example, if everyone in an office is using Copilot, ChatGPT or Grok, what are the guardrails that need to be put in place to protect sensitive company data or prevent biased or false outputs that might be used for business purposes.
Geopolitical fragmentation
Geopolitical volatility is another threat in the cyber security landscape. We see a lot of concerns about state-linked attacks, infrastructure disruption and digital espionage. As a result, many organisations are planning risk mitigation approaches with geopolitically motivated cyber attacks in mind.
In Europe, many states are warning against attacks from Russia as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Similarly, countries in the Western world are staying on high alert in relation to threats coming from China and North Korea, in particular.
Cyber-enabled fraud
Cyber-enabled fraud as well as AI vulnerabilities are also becoming a dominant concern for CEOs, with data suggesting that many people have already been affected by digital fraud through phishing, payment fraud and identity theft. Meanwhile, security leaders in 2026 remain strongly focused on ransomware, supply chain compromise and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.
The difference in perspective is not necessarily a problem but it does call for overall stronger technical security execution and risk strategies.
Supply chain and third-party risk
Supply chain security continues to be one of the greatest challenges to becoming more cyber resilient in 2026. Third-party vulnerabilities are now the biggest barrier to resilience for many organisations. As supply chains are becoming more interconnected, more security is needed in place for monitoring and risk prevention.
In real terms, this means that it becomes harder to manage risk the more organisations become interconnected with other businesses. However, a proactive company can and should be looking to invest in better training to ensure that employees understand the risks associated with supply chains and are vigilant for attacks such as social engineering, spear-phishing and malware.
Collaboration as the foundation of future cyber resilience
Ultimately, cybersecurity is a collective responsibility and resilience to threats is best achieved through mutual collaboration. Even with AI threats, geopolitical fragmentation, cyber-enabled fraud and supply chain vulnerabilities, collaboration between organisations, government bodies and technology providers can help build stronger, safer and more trustworthy digital landscapes.
Want to get serious about cybersecurity within your organisation but don’t know where to start? Get in touch.
