AI transforms cybersecurity landscape as threats and defenses evolve in 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping cybersecurity by driving threats and defense strategies on both sides. LSBF Global CEO Rathakrishnan Govind notes that AI lowers barriers for cybercriminals to run sophisticated attacks. Criminals now use AI to generate phishing emails, copy writing styles, make fake identities, and produce voice and video deepfakes at scale.

The WEF Outlook and Agentic AI

The World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 identifies AI as the biggest driver of change in the field, with 94 percent of respondents expecting it to have a major impact. AI vulnerabilities also emerged as the fastest-growing cyber risk during 2025. Meanwhile, the rise of agentic AI allows systems to plan and carry out multi-step tasks independently, helping attackers with reconnaissance and finding system weaknesses.

Dual Challenge and Defense

Businesses face a dual challenge as they adopt generative and agentic AI. Organisations must block AI-driven cyber attacks while also protecting their own systems from internal risks like data leaks and access issues. At the same time, security teams use AI to study large data sets and spot unusual behavior, with 77 percent of surveyed organisations already using AI for cybersecurity.

Skills Needed

Future cybersecurity professionals need training beyond standard technical skills in cloud security, risk management, and threat detection. Workers must understand AI security, critical thinking, and how to adapt as threats change. Govind emphasizes that the main challenge is working alongside AI rather than being replaced by it.

Context

As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, it is increasingly used by both malicious actors and security teams to automate complex tasks. This shift forces organizations to rethink traditional security models and invest heavily in securing their own AI deployments alongside standard network defenses.