Fortinet warns of machine-speed cybercrime in 2026: New report predicts rise of AI-driven attacks and industrialized cybercrime networks

Fortinet today released its 2026 Cyberthreat Predictions Report, forecasting a year in which cybercrime becomes faster, more automated, and more industrialized than ever before. Each year, FortiGuard Labs examines how technological advances, economic pressures, and human behaviour intersect to shape global risk. The 2026 predictions outline a pivotal shift: cybercrime is evolving into a high-throughput industry where success is measured not by innovation, but by how quickly intelligence can be converted into action.

From Innovation to Throughput

With AI, automation, and a fully matured cybercrime supply chain accelerating intrusion, attackers will focus less on inventing new tools and more on refining and scaling those that already work. AI systems will handle reconnaissance, speed up intrusion, analyze stolen data, and even craft ransom negotiations. Autonomous agents operating across the dark web will begin to execute major portions of attacks with minimal human involvement.

As a result, attacker capacity ...