2026 Crowdstrike global threat report: AI accelerates adversaries and reshapes the attack surface

AI-enabled attacks surge 89% as breakout time falls to 29 minutes; AI tools and development platforms are actively exploited CrowdStrike today released its 2026 Global Threat Report, revealing that AI is accelerating the adversary and expanding the enterprise attack surface. The average eCrime breakout time fell to just 29 minutes in 2025, with the fastest observed breakout occurring in only 27 seconds. Adversaries are also actively exploiting AI systems themselves, injecting malicious prompts into GenAI tools at more than 90 organizations and abusing AI development platforms. The Global Threat Report makes clear that as innovation accelerates, adversary exploitation follows.

AI-enabled adversaries increased operations by 89% year-over-year, weaponizing AI across reconnaissance, credential theft, and evasion. Intrusions now move through trusted identities, SaaS applications, and cloud infrastructure, blending into normal activity while compressing defenders’ time to respond. AI is both the accelerant and the target.

CrowdStrike Global Threat Report ...