7 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026

AI and other technologies are fundamentally reshaping the security world. It’s never too early to prepare, which is why we're dropping our predictions for 2026 ahead of schedule! We went straight to the source, surveying our internal team of cybersecurity and technology specialists to find out where they see the battle lines forming. Here’s what our experts predict.

For MSPs, embracing AI will no longer be optional

From Mikey Pruitt, Global Partner Evangelist

AI is no longer a trend on the edge of tech and security; today, it has become the backbone of how businesses operate, secure, and scale. In fact, AI traffic on the DNSFilter network has grown 69% over the past 12 months. For MSPs, that means survival and success will hinge on offering AI-powered services. Those who fail to adapt will be outpaced and out-innovated. 

AI is being used in countless ways to make workflows more efficient, and MSPs need to be creating these AI automations. There is a huge opportunity for them to provide education on how to use AI and build AI automations for their clients, but the challenge is that they must do this in addition to everything they’re already offering. They can’t afford to slip on cybersecurity, cloud services, or anything else; they have to add this new service. However, the upside for MSPs that pull this off is that there’s a lot of room to make money, strengthen their brand reputation, and differentiate their company in an ever-growing ecosystem.

Forthcoming DNSSEC upgrades will force a tipping point

From Mikey Pruitt, Global Partner Evangelist

ICANN is making major DNSSEC upgrades for 2026, including a new root key and enhanced operational coordination. These initiatives aim to address the critical infrastructure integrity and resiliency of the global DNS. However, low rates of adoption will leave the majority of DNS traffic vulnerable to a range of threats, including hijacking, cache poisoning, and forgery. As root-level security strengthens, attackers will increasingly shift their focus downstream to these weak links—making unsigned domains a prime target for systemic exploitation. If DNSSEC adoption isn’t accelerated, adversaries will seize the gap. Pressure is mounting for domain owners, and DNSSEC will no longer be a nice-to-have.

Bad actors will leverage data for more effective attacks

From Constantin Jacob, manager, engineering, security intelligence and solutions:

Malicious actors are finally connecting noisy data and contextual data to engage in highly sophisticated and personalized attacks. For instance, by pairing PII (including personal and healthcare information) with geolocation data, malicious actors can make highly intelligent deductions about your day-to-day life and create increasingly targeted and convincing campaigns to deceive their targets. These threat actors may be able to identify that you recently injured yourself and are in physical therapy at a certain clinic, for instance. Then, using the knowledge of who your consulting physician is and their contact information, those bad actors could send a malicious email impersonating that physical therapy clinic, which includes detailed and convincing information. This will make the target of the email far more likely to click, respond, or take the action the threat actor wants them to take.

AI will become the ultimate cyber adversary

From TK Keanini, CTO

In 2026, AI will be a force multiplier that enhances old threats while creating new ones. Classic attacks like phishing will be perfected, and we will see the rise of flawless, deepfake-powered phishing and AI that chains minor bugs into major breaches at machine speed. This will give way to autonomous attacks, in which an adversary states an objective and an AI agent achieves it by rewriting its own code to bypass our defenses in real-time. Our only response is to fight fire with fire. We must accelerate our shift to AI-driven behavioral detection, a strict Zero Trust architecture, and phishing-resistant identity controls as our last line of defense.

Security culture will replace security policy

From TK Keanini, CTO

Employees will no longer be passive participants in cybersecurity. Every individual will be expected to act as a proactive defender — always in a state of readiness. Cybersecurity will shift from being a compliance checkbox to a shared mission. The most secure organizations will be those where employees see themselves as partners to the cybersecurity team, not just policy followers, creating a culture of performance-driven defense.

Authenticity becomes the new pillar of security

From TK Keanini, CTO

We’re about to see the death of “seeing is believing,” because deepfakes will soon detonate trust itself. As AI blurs the line between truth and fabrication, attackers will weaponize human psychology (including urgency, authority, and social proof) through flawless fake voices and faces. The classic CIA triad of “Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability” can no longer hold the line. In 2026, authenticity will emerge as cybersecurity’s fourth pillar, defining the next era of digital trust.

Identifying and removing CSAM (and other harmful content) will grow more challenging

From Gregg Jones, intelligence analyst lead

On the DNSFilter network over the last year, attempted access of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) has grown 44% over the last year. This is the one content category within DNSFilter that is always blocked.

As AI models become more sophisticated, unmoderated AI image generation will make identifying vectors of direct harm more challenging. Additionally, while age regulation and photo identification laws for certain websites, even adult sites and forums, are meant to help protect minors, the reality is that these crackdowns may actually make it harder to track, find and remove victims’ content. That’s because those rules are likely to push users away from more standard “open forums” into more private and shared servers. Additionally, the databases of age verification data and “verification photos” are susceptible to breaches, putting minors’ personally identifying information at risk and making it easier for predators and bad actors to exploit them. 

What can be done instead? Tech companies and cybersecurity organizations can play a crucial role in this effort by partnering with organizations like the Internet Watch Foundation and others to block content at the DNS layer.

Looking Ahead

The predictions for 2026 clearly mark a tipping point, but they also highlight a massive growth opportunity for those ready to adapt. As AI accelerates threats and erodes digital authenticity, the shift to a Zero Trust architecture is no longer a strategic choice—it's the new baseline for enterprise resilience and MSP differentiation. This is the moment for Managed Service Providers to step up, offer essential foundational security, and become indispensable partners in the fight against autonomous threats and sophisticated deepfakes. By hardening the very foundation of the network at the DNS layer, organizations can establish the micro-segmentation and strict verification required by Zero Trust. 

DNSFilter is engineered to deliver this foundational Zero Trust security, giving both enterprises and partners the speed and flexibility needed to thrive in this new landscape. Don't just react to the future of security; build a more resilient and profitable business today. Start your free trial or request a personalized demo now.