DALLAS, Nov. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro
Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today
released its annual Security Predictions Report for 2026, warning that the
coming year will mark the true industrialization of cybercrime. Artificial
intelligence (AI) and automation are now enabling threat actors to run entire
campaigns autonomously, from reconnaissance to extortion, creating
unprecedented speed, scale, and complexity for enterprise defenders.
To read the full report, The AI-fication of Cyberthreats -
Trend Micro Security Predictions for 2026, please visit:
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/research-and-analysis/predictions/the-ai-fication-of-cyberthreats-trend-micro-security-predictions-for-2026
Ryan Flores, Lead of Forward-Looking Threat Research at
Trend: "2026 will be remembered as the year cybercrime stopped being a
service industry and became a fully automated one. We are entering an era where
AI agents will discover, exploit, and monetize weaknesses without human input.
The challenge for defenders is no longer simply detecting attacks, it's keeping
pace with the machine-driven tempo of threats.
The report highlights how generative AI and agentic systems
are transforming the economics of cybercrime. Autonomous intrusion campaigns
that adapt in real time, polymorphic malware that constantly rewrites its own
code, and deepfake-driven social engineering will be standard tools for
attackers. The same automation also threatens to flood businesses with
synthetic code, poisoned AI models, and flawed modules hidden inside legitimate
workflows, blurring the line between innovation and exploitation.
Hybrid cloud environments, software supply chains, and AI infrastructures are expected to be the primary targets in 2026. Poisoned open-source packages, malicious container images, and over-privileged cloud identities will become common attack vectors, while state-sponsored groups will increasingly turn to "harvest-now, decrypt-later" strategies to future-proof espionage against the advance of quantum computing.
Ransomware is evolving into an AI-powered ecosystem capable
of managing itself, e.g. identifying victims, exploiting weaknesses, and even
negotiating with targets via automated "extortion bots." Trend threat
researchers expect these campaigns to become faster, harder to trace, and more
persistent, riven by data rather than encryption alone.
Trend advises organizations worldwide to move from reactive
defense to proactive resilience by embedding security across every layer of AI
adoption, cloud operations, and supply chain management. Organizations that
integrate ethical AI use, adaptive defense, and human oversight will be the
ones best positioned to succeed in the future.
Trend's 2026 predictions outline a path forward based on
visibility, automation with human validation, and a cultural shift that treats
security as strategic infrastructure. Those who innovate securely, by balancing
speed with governance and intelligence with ethics, will set the standard for
trust and resilience in an increasingly autonomous world.
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the
world safe for exchanging digital information between people, governments, and
enterprises. Trend leverages security expertise and AI to protect more than
500,000 enterprises and millions of individuals across clouds, networks,
endpoints, and devices worldwide. At the core is Trend Vision One™, the only
AI-powered enterprise cybersecurity platform that centralizes cyber risk
exposure management and security operations, delivering layered protection
across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. The unmatched threat
intelligence delivered by Trend empowers organizations to proactively defend
against hundreds of millions of threats every day. Proactive security starts
here. TrendMicro.com
SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated
For further information: Trend Micro Communications, 817-522-7911, media_relations@trendmicro.com
By Advik Gupta
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