Fortinet has released its 2026 Cyberthreat Predictions Report, projecting a pivotal year in cybersecurity where acceleration—not innovation—will dictate success. Each year, FortiGuard Labs examines how technology, economics, and human behavior intersect to shape global cyber risk. For 2026, the team foresees a major shift: cybercrime will operate increasingly like a fully industrialized ecosystem powered by automation, specialization, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The report underscores one defining truth for the year ahead: victory in both attack and defense will hinge on throughput—how fast intelligence can be transformed into action.
From Innovation to Throughput
With AI, advanced automation, and a mature underground supply chain, cyber intrusion will become faster and more efficient than ever. Attackers will rely less on creating new tools and more on optimizing proven techniques—scaling them through automation.
AI systems will soon:
- Conduct reconnaissance
- Accelerate intrusions
- Parse stolen data
- Generate optimized ransom communications
Meanwhile, autonomous agents on the dark web will begin taking on full attack stages with little to no human guidance.
This transformation means cybercriminals can launch attacks in parallel. What once took days will take minutes, turning speed into the most dangerous risk multiplier of 2026.
The Next Wave of Offense
FortiGuard Labs anticipates the rise of specialized AI cybercrime agents that will enhance and partially automate phases such as:
- Credential harvesting
- Lateral movement
- Data monetization
AI will also radically speed up the value extraction from stolen information. Once a database is compromised, AI will instantly analyze its contents, profile victims, and even craft targeted extortion messages. Data becomes currency at unprecedented velocity.
The underground economy will grow more structured, with tailored botnet rentals, targeted credential markets, automated escrow, and legitimacy-style systems such as reputation scoring and customer service. Cybercrime will function more like a fully mature industry.
Evolution of Defense: The Era of Machine-Speed Security
Organizations will need to match attackers’ velocity through machine-speed defense—a continuous cycle of real-time intelligence, validation, and response.
Key frameworks such as Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) and MITRE ATT&CK will help teams map threats, identify exposures, and prioritize remediation instantly.
Identity will become the backbone of modern defense, not just for people but also for:
- Automated agents
- AI processes
- Machine-to-machine interactions
Managing these non-human identities will be crucial in preventing privilege escalation and data leaks.
Collaboration and Global Deterrence
As cybercrime scales, so must global cooperation. Efforts like INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti 2.0, supported by Fortinet and other private-sector leaders, show how coordinated actions can dismantle criminal networks.
FortiGuard Labs also highlights the importance of preventing new cybercriminal recruitment by investing in programs for youth and at-risk individuals—steering them away from the cybercrime pipeline before they enter it.
Looking Toward 2027
By 2027, cybercrime could operate at a scale comparable to legitimate global industries. FortiGuard Labs predicts:
- Greater automation of offensive operations using agentic AI
- Swarm-based agents coordinating attacks semi-autonomously
- Heightened supply-chain attacks targeting AI and embedded systems
Defenders will need equally advanced strategies powered by predictive intelligence and automation, enabling them to anticipate behaviors and contain incidents faster than ever.
The defining factor will be how seamlessly humans and machines work together as adaptive, intelligent systems.
Supporting Perspectives
Jonas Walker, Director of Threat Intelligence APAC & Middle East, FortiGuard Labs:
“Cybercrime has become an industrialized system operating at machine speed. As AI and automation redefine every stage of the attack lifecycle, the gap between compromise and consequence is disappearing. Security is now a race between systems, not individuals.”
Bambi Escalante, Country Manager, Fortinet Philippines:
“We’re entering an era where static security is no longer enough. Organizations need unified, adaptive security powered by intelligence, exposure management, and AI-driven response—so they can act as fast as attackers, and contain threats before disruption begins.”
Dive deeper into the complete findings, technical insights, and sector-specific forecasts in the Fortinet Cyberthreat Predictions Report for 2026.
