China, AI and a Federal Retreat Set Cyber Agenda for 2026

Analysts Warn Cyber Risks Converging as Federal Defenses Thin Ahead of 2026 Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • December 25, 2025

As governments head into 2026, one thing is clear: Cybersecurity risks can no longer be defined by a single attack vector or adversary.

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Instead, public sector security analysts warn the coming year will be shaped by a convergence of long-running threats that are being intensified by policy decisions, uneven investment, rapid artificial intelligence adoption and persistent gaps in accountability (see: US Must Go on Offense in Cyberspace, Report Warns).

In interviews with Information Security Media Group, cyber policy and security leaders pointed to three forces likely to shape the government risk landscape in the year ahead: a steady erosion of federal cybersecurity capacity, escalating nation-state threats to critical infrastructure and communications networks, and the growing mismatch between how ...