Cybersecurity forecast 2026: Five critical shifts that will redefine business defense

By Govind Rammurthy, CEO and Managing Director, eScan

As organisations finalise their 2026 security budgets, eScan (MicroWorld Technologies Inc.) identifies five fundamental shifts that will separate resilient enterprises from tomorrow’s breach headlines. The threat landscape isn’t just evolving – it’s undergoing a phase change driven by AI automation, ecosystem interdependencies, and the dissolution of traditional security perimeters.

AI democratises advanced attacks

The barrier to sophisticated cyberattacks has collapsed. What required elite technical skills in 2023 now requires only malicious intent and Internet access. AI tools can fingerprint systems, identify vulnerabilities, and deploy exploits faster than humans can read disclosure notices. India experienced this firsthand in 2025 when deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman promoting fraudulent platforms circulated widely, requiring official government warnings. A Pune resident lost ₹43 lakh to a deepfake of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy – the AI replication so convincing ...