The report highlights how generative AI and agentic systems are transforming the economics of cybercrime.

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."

Targeted attacks and ransomware evolution

Hybrid cloud environments, AI infrastructures, and software supply chains are expected to be the main targets in 2026. Attack vectors will include poisoned open-source packages, malicious container images, and over-privileged cloud identities, while state-sponsored groups may adopt “harvest-now, decrypt-later” strategies against quantum computing advances.

Ransomware is evolving into an AI-powered ecosystem capable of identifying victims, exploiting weaknesses, and negotiating with targets via automated “extortion bots.” These attacks are expected to become faster, harder to trace, and more persistent, driven by data rather than encryption alone.

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.

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.

 By - Aaradhay Sharma