Over the next year, we can expect cyber threats to accelerate alongside geopolitical tensions, and the rise of AI to continue to drive changes in the way we do business.
Basically, we can expect more of the same, but faster, is the underlying message of research firm Gartner’s predicted trends for 2026.
“Cyber security leaders are navigating uncharted territory this year as these forces converge, testing the limits of their teams in an environment defined by constant change,” Alex Michaels, director analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.
“This demands new approaches to cyber risk management, resilience and resource allocation.”
Here’s what Gartner’s expecting over the next 12 months.
Trend 1: Agentic AI will demand greater cyber security oversight
Agentic AI will expand the attack surface, while vibe coding will only add to the challenge of securing this new wave of “workers”.
“While AI agents and automation tools are becoming increasingly accessible and practical for organisations to adopt, strong governance remains essential,” Michaels said.
“Cyber security leaders must identify both sanctioned and unsanctioned AI agents, enforce robust controls for each and develop incident response playbooks to address potential risks.”
Trend 2: Regulatory volatility will drive cyber resilience
As regulatory regimes increasingly hold boards and C-suite members liable for cyber security failures, organisations will need to focus on cyber resilience as a key business concern.
Gartner believes legal, business and procurement teams will need to collaborate more formally to achieve cyber success and establish clear accountability.
“Aligning control frameworks to recognised standards and addressing data sovereignty concerns will help reduce compliance gaps,” Gartner said.
Trend 3: Post-quantum computing will need to be addressed
“Post-quantum cryptography is reshaping cyber security strategies by prompting organisations to identify, manage and replace traditional encryption methods, while prioritising cryptographic agility,” Michaels said.
“By investing in these capabilities and prioritising migration now, assets will be secured when quantum threats become a reality.”
Trend 4: Identity and access management will need to adapt to AI agents
Traditional access management techniques will need to take into account the massive growth in AI agents deployed across company networks. Identity registration and governance, credential automation, and policy-driven authorisation will all matter so much more in this modern, agentic era.
“Failure to address these issues will lead to greater risk of access-related cyber security incidents as autonomous agents become more prevalent,” Gartner said.
Trend 5: AI-driven SOC solutions will drastically change operational norms
AI-enabled security operations centres, optimisation, and rising interest in AI generally will introduce new levels of operational complexity, but people still matter.
“To realise the full potential of AI in security operations, cyber security leaders must prioritise people as much as technology,” Michaels said.
“Strengthening workforce capabilities, implementing human-in-the-loop frameworks into AI-supported processes and aligning adoption with clear strategic objectives will be critical to maintaining resilience as SOCs evolve.”
Trend 6: GenAI will break traditional cyber security awareness tactics
As GenAI adoption accelerates, traditional awareness frameworks will cease to be fit for purpose. Gartner research recently found that 57 per cent of workers use personal GenAI accounts for work purposes, while 33 per cent admit to uploading sensitive information to unapproved tools.
According to Gartner, organisations will need to move away from general awareness training to focus on adaptive behavioural and training programs designed around AI tasks.
“Strengthening governance, embedding secure practices and establishing policies for authorised use will reduce exposure to privacy breaches and intellectual property loss,” Gartner said.
David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.