Cybersecurity Trends and Predictions for 2026

Here are North’s predictions for the five key trends that will impact cybersecurity in the UK through 2026:

1. AI-Powered Cyber Attacks

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used extensively in cyber defence; however, it’s also a weapon for cybercriminals. Expect to see AI-driven phishing campaigns, deepfake impersonations, and autonomous malware capable of adapting in real time. These attacks will be harder to detect and more convincing than ever.

Despite technological advances, humans remain the weakest link in cybersecurity. In 2026, we expect a surge in deepfake-enabled social engineering attacks, where AI-generated audio and video can be leveraged to impersonate executives or trusted contacts. These attacks can lead to significant financial losses. Organisations must adopt a positive cybersecurity culture, investing in effective security awareness training and resilience to combat this growing threat.

2. Regulatory Pressure and Mandatory Resilience

The UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, expected to take full effect in 2026, will introduce stricter compliance requirements, including mandatory incident reporting and resilience standards across a range of sectors. Non-compliance could lead to significant fines and reputational damage. Cybersecurity is a Board-level issue, and organisations must align with these regulations while strengthening governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) programmes.

3. Expanding Attack Surface from Cloud, IoT, and OT

The rapid adoption of hybrid cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) has dramatically increased the overall attack surface. Misconfigurations, shadow IT, and unsecure endpoints remain prevalent in opening organisations to compromise. Designated Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors such as energy, transport, and water are particularly vulnerable to ransomware and supply-chain attacks. Businesses should prioritise attack surface management, network segmentation, and OT-specific security controls to mitigate these risks.

4. Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is edging closer to reality, posing a major threat to traditional encryption like RSA and ECC. Attackers are already harvesting encrypted data today to decrypt later, making crypto-agility essential. In 2026, we expect UK businesses will begin migrating to post-quantum cryptography, following NIST and NCSC guidelines. The UK Government is investing heavily in quantum innovation, signalling its strategic importance. Whilst real real-world quantum threat may be some way off, organisations must start planning now by auditing cryptographic dependencies, adopting secure design principles, and preparing for a quantum-safe future.

5. Proactive Resilience

The UK has been shifting away from traditional perimeter-based cybersecurity and adopting proactive resilience – with initiatives such as ‘Secure by Design’ now prevalent in UK Government and its supply chain. In 2026, we expect to see further emphasis on this move, ensuring cybersecurity is not only built into every system/project/programme and organisation, but it is proactively managed through-life. Organisations must adopt security principles and build in tools and processes to ensure proactive detection, response, and recovery to the inevitable breach.