The 2026 Cyber Threat Outlook
Most cyberattacks last year didn’t rely on headline-grabbing zero-days or overly sophisticated exploits.
Instead, the Field Effect security team observed adversaries leaning more heavily on identity abuse, AI-assisted tradecraft, and exploiting trust across people, processes, and platforms.
This report draws on Field Effect's security data, threat intelligence, and frontline investigations to reveal how modern cyberattacks are unfolding and what those patterns signal for the year ahead.
If you want to understand where attackers are concentrating their efforts now and where they’re moving next, this is the place to start.
Key findings
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Attackers favored valid credentials, session hijacking, and multifactor authentication (MFA) abuse over traditional network exploits.
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Collaboration tools, support workflows, and familiar platforms became vehicles for credential theft and malware execution.
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AI compressed timelines for phishing, reconnaissance, and vulnerability exploitation.
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VPNs, firewalls, and internet-facing systems repeatedly enabled initial access when patching and credential hygiene lagged.
The experts behind the report
This report was developed by Field Effect’s security experts, including leaders across our Security Services, Threat and Risk Intelligence, and Professional Services teams, with contributions from experts across the globe.
It reflects the work of cybersecurity investigators, analysts, and researchers who work every day to keep businesses secure.
Our goal was to provide a clear, practical view of how the threat landscape evolved and what that means for the year ahead. Every insight in this report is rooted in real-world incidents, validated telemetry, and the threats we observed, investigated, and responded to firsthand.
CyberSecurity is our Priority
About Field Effect
Field Effect, a global cybersecurity company, is revolutionizing the industry by bringing advanced cybersecurity solutions and services to businesses of all sizes. We build solutions that are sophisticated, yet easy to use and manage, so every business owner can get the hands-free cybersecurity they expect and the sleep-filled nights they deserve.
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