1. Identity Becomes the Primary Attack Surface
Identity-driven attacks now surpass traditional malware and endpoint breaches. Over 80% of attacks begin with compromised credentials, making identity the top attack vector in 2026.
(Sources: identity-first trend, turn10search67).
SaaS sprawl, remote work, password reuse, MFA fatigue, and cloud adoption rapidly expand the attack surface.
it is important that we implement Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR), monitor non-human identities, enforce Zero Trust, and continuously audit credential behaviors.
2. AI-Powered Attacks and AI-Driven Defense Explode
Cybercriminals now use AI to automate reconnaissance, craft hyper-personalized phishing, generate deepfake voice/video fraud, and deploy adaptive malware that evolves in real time.
(Sources: AI-driven offense, turn10search70; deepfake growth, turn10search62).
On the defensive side, SOC operations are embracing agentic AI and hyperautomation, delivering:
- 90–95% autonomous Tier‑1 alert handling
- AI-driven triage, investigation, and containment
- No-code automation for rapid onboarding and scaling
(Source: hyperautomation, turn10search60)
3. Machines, Not Humans, Become the New Users to Defend
By 2026, most activity in customer environments comes from AI agents, APIs, and backend services.
Attackers hide among “trusted” automated accounts and clean-looking API traffic, making detection harder than ever.
(Source: machine-activity trend, turn10search59).
MSSPs must adopt:
- Non-human identity governance
- API threat monitoring
- Automated behavior baselining for machine agents
- Agent authorization and activity auditing
4. Zero‑Day Exploits Outpace Traditional Patch Cycles
Zero-day exploitation is accelerating faster than organizations can patch, rendering alert-first MSSP models ineffective.
(Source: zero-day trend, turn10search59).
Area we should consider implementing:
- Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)
- Automated patch deployment
- Predictive vulnerability scoring and remediation
(Source: CTEM, turn10search57)
5. Ransomware Becomes Faster, More Targeted, and Operationally Focused
Ransomware attacks in 2026 aim for business shutdown, targeting backups, AD, cloud identity, and recovery workflows.
(Source: ransomware trends, turn10search65).
Resilience—not just prevention—is now the core requirement. Only 28% of organizations believe they can recover within 12 hours, a steep decline from 2024.
(Source: recovery confidence, turn10search64).
6. Cyber Resilience and Recovery Overtake Prevention
For 2026, the most important security metric becomes how fast an organization can recover.
(Source: resilience shift, turn10search64).
Things we should consider:
- Immutable backups and cyber vaults
- Clean restore processes
- Automated AD recovery
- Integrity validation before restoration
7. Multi‑Cloud Complexity Forces Unified Security Platforms
Organizations now operate across multiple cloud providers, creating fragmented security postures and slower recovery cycles.
(Source: multi-cloud pressure, turn10search64).
Things we should consider:
- Unified multi-cloud management
- Centralized identity governance
- Cross-cloud visibility and orchestration
8. Regulatory Pressure and Compliance Expectations Intensify
Global regulations like NIS2, DORA, and tightened cyber insurance criteria require organizations to prove maturity—not just deploy tools.
(Source: compliance pressure, turn10search67; insurance shift, turn10search61).
Using Purview we will expand our Compliance-as-a-Service offerings, documenting controls, managing audits, and ensuring continuous compliance monitoring.
9. Tool Sprawl and Analyst Shortages Drive Platform Consolidation
Disconnected tools, alert fatigue, and talent shortages make traditional SOCs unsustainable.
(Sources: tool consolidation, turn10search67; SOC scaling, turn10search60).
Torq and other AI driven tools are helping us achieve this goal today.
10. AI Governance and Agent Oversight Become Non‑Negotiable
Organizations are deploying hundreds of AI agents without governance—creating a new class of risk.
(Source: AI agent governance, turn10search64).
Clients now expect:
- Traceability of AI decision-making
- Defined authority for autonomous actions
- Remediation frameworks for agent-caused errors
(Source: governance expectation, turn10search59)
Conclusion
2026 marks the beginning of a new era for us all —one defined by identity-first protection, AI-powered operations, machine identity governance, continuous exposure management, and unified multi-cloud security.
