These past few years have made one thing crystal clear: cybercriminals don’t stand still. In 2026, threats are evolving faster than ever. Artificial intelligence, progress in quantum computing and increasingly organized criminal groups are all pushing things forward. Here’s what top security researchers and organizations such as CrowdStrike, Mandiant, Palo Alto Networks and ENISA are expecting over the next twelve months. More importantly, here are the steps you can take right now to stay one step ahead.
1. AI-Powered Phishing and Social Engineering Hit New Heights
AI is no longer just hype for attackers. It has become their go-to tool.
Voice deepfakes now sound convincing enough in real-time phone calls to fool even careful people, especially in CEO fraud schemes. Personalized phishing emails, created by large language models, can pull in details from your recent social media posts, online purchases or even mention family members by name. AI chatbots pretending to be customer support are also getting better at tricking users into handing over remote access or login details.
2. Ransomware Shifts Toward Triple Extortion
Double extortion, where attackers encrypt files and threaten to leak stolen data, has become the norm. Now many top groups add a third layer: they contact customers, partners and regulators directly to increase pressure. Some even go further with quadruple extortion by launching DDoS attacks against the victim until they pay.
Ransomware-as-a-Service platforms look more professional every year. They offer clean affiliate dashboards, revenue tracking and sometimes even customer support for victims who reach out.
3. Quantum Computing Risks Move from Theory to Reality
Full-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption are still several years away. But the “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy is already happening. State-sponsored actors and advanced criminal groups are quietly collecting encrypted data today, from VPN sessions to TLS traffic, so they can crack it once powerful quantum machines arrive.
Post-quantum cryptography is rolling out slowly. Many websites and VPNs still rely on older RSA or ECC algorithms that will eventually become vulnerable.
Something you can do today: Switch to services and tools that already support post-quantum algorithms, like certain Cloudflare features, newer versions of Google Chrome or some WireGuard implementations.
4. IoT and Smart Home Devices Remain the Weakest Link
The average home now has more than twenty connected devices. Unfortunately most of them are still badly secured: default passwords never changed, no firmware updates applied, devices exposed directly to the internet through UPnP or weak router settings.
Botnets similar to Mirai variants continue to recruit these devices for large-scale DDoS attacks and credential stuffing campaigns.
5. Supply-Chain Attacks Keep Expanding
After high-profile incidents like SolarWinds, MOVEit and 3CX in previous years, attackers now focus heavily on supply chains. They compromise software update servers, hack developer accounts on GitHub, npm or PyPI, or exploit simple cloud misconfigurations such as public S3 buckets and exposed Kubernetes APIs.
One single breach can spread to dozens or even hundreds of downstream victims in a matter of hours.
How to Prepare for 2026 Threats – Your Practical Action Plan
Here are the most effective steps you can take right now:
- Turn on passkeys or strong two-factor authentication wherever you can, and avoid SMS completely
- Use a reliable password manager with unique passwords of at least sixteen characters
- Keep every device and piece of software up to date with automatic updates enabled
- Install solid endpoint protection, ideally something with behavioral detection and ransomware rollback
- Always use a trusted VPN on public Wi-Fi and when handling sensitive browsing
- Freeze your credit reports and keep an eye on dark web leaks through services like Have I Been Pwned or Experian
- Train yourself and your family to spot AI-generated phishing attempts and high-pressure urgency scams
Bottom Line
2026 will not be the year cybercriminals vanish. On the contrary, they will be quicker, more intelligent and more targeted than before, thanks to AI and quantum progress. That said, anyone who combines passkeys, solid two-factor authentication, regular updates and basic awareness remains a very tough target.
The strongest defense does not rely on waiting for one perfect tool. It comes from layering several protections today. Pick one item from the list above and put it in place this week. You will already be far ahead of most people.