Cybersecurity trends 2026 redefine enterprise IT priorities

Cybersecurity trends 2026 indicate a decisive shift in how enterprises view risk, resilience and regulation. A global survey of more than 250 senior IT and business decision-makers shows that security threats and artificial intelligence are emerging as the most disruptive forces shaping IT strategies for the year ahead.

The findings reflect an environment where cyber risk is escalating faster than organisational preparedness, while cloud expansion and regulatory pressure are reducing visibility and confidence across enterprise IT estates.

Cybersecurity and AI lead the disruption landscape

Among the cybersecurity trends 2026, security threats stand out as the dominant disruptor. Nearly half of respondents identified cybersecurity as the single biggest factor likely to impact their organisations. AI maturity and regulation followed as the second most significant disruptor.

Other pressures, including talent shortages and cloud cost and complexity, were cited less frequently but remain part of the broader risk environment.

Preparedness remains a concern. Cyberattacks were ranked as the risk organisations feel least ready to manage, closely followed by failures linked to AI and automation. AI-generated attacks were identified as the most serious threat to data, ahead of ransomware, highlighting how AI is increasingly viewed as an offensive tool in the hands of attackers.

Security, resilience and sovereignty move to the forefront

In response to these cybersecurity trends, 2026, enterprises are prioritising defensive measures. Strengthening cybersecurity emerged as the top “must-win” IT initiative for 2026, with data resilience ranking second.

Spending plans mirror this focus. More than half of respondents expect moderate to significant increases in budgets for data protection and resilience.

Data sovereignty is also shaping cloud decisions. A large majority of leaders rated sovereignty as extremely or moderately important, underscoring the growing role of compliance and jurisdictional control in cloud strategy. Resilience, according to respondents, is no longer just a technical concern but also a regulatory and geopolitical one.

Visibility challenges and limited recovery confidence

Despite higher investment, visibility gaps persist. Many leaders reported that expanding multi-cloud and SaaS environments has reduced their ability to track where data resides, limiting effective oversight.

Recovery confidence remains low. Only a minority said they were very confident in their ability to recover critical data after a zero-day exploit. Preparedness for extended cloud outages is also limited, with most organisations only somewhat confident or not confident at all in maintaining operations during a multi-day disruption.

Accountability and standards gain importance

Governance is emerging as a key theme within cybersecurity trends 2026. Most respondents believe stronger executive-level accountability would have a major or moderate impact on improving cybersecurity and data protection outcomes.

Expectations are also extending beyond the organisation. A strong majority said it will be important to ensure partners and suppliers meet the same cybersecurity and data protection standards. Support for banning ransomware payments was also high, reflecting frustration with practices that continue to fund criminal activity.

Looking ahead to 2026

Overall, cybersecurity trends 2026 suggest enterprises are entering a period of heightened complexity. AI-driven threats, reduced data visibility and tighter compliance requirements are converging, forcing organisations to focus on resilience, governance and preparedness as core elements of their IT strategy.