Top 5 cybersecurity trends for 2026: why identity is becoming the main line of defence

The Threat Landscape Is Changing Forever

Cybersecurity is no longer a static defense. In 2026, we are observing a fundamental shift: attackers no longer "hack" into infrastructure—they "log in" using compromised credentials. According to Segura analytics, traditional methods of protecting network boundaries are losing effectiveness in the face of new challenges.

We have highlighted 5 key vectors that every CIO and CISO should pay attention to today.

Trend 1: AI as a Cybercriminal Weapon

Artificial Intelligence has become a "double agent." On one hand, it helps analysts detect anomalies; on the other, it allows hackers to scale attacks at incredible speeds. Generative AI is used to create perfect phishing emails (Spear Phishing) and Deepfake attacks that bypass basic identity verification.

In 2026, it is critical to implement user behavioral analysis to distinguish legitimate activity from the actions of an attacker armed with AI.

Trend 2: Explosive Growth of Non-Human Identities

Today, the number of machine identities (bots, APIs, service accounts, containers) in corporate networks significantly exceeds the number of real users. These entities often hold high privileges but remain without proper oversight.

Lack of secret rotation for APIs and hardcoded passwords in scripts are "open doors" for attacks. A modern PAM (Privileged Access Management) system is required to manage the full lifecycle of machine identities.

Trend 3: Increasing Regulatory Pressure

New directives, such as NIS2 and DORA in Europe, as well as tightened GDPR requirements, are transforming cyber hygiene from a recommendation into a strict legal requirement. Companies will be forced to demonstrate not just the presence of security tools, but their actual effectiveness and ability to recover quickly.

Trend 4: Third-Party Risks (Supply Chain)

Granting access to contractors and vendors via traditional VPNs creates security blind spots. If a contractor is breached, you are breached. In 2026, companies are massively shifting to the Just-in-Time principle (access only for the duration of the work) without revealing real passwords to external users.

Trend 5: Consolidation of Security Platforms

The era of disjointed tools is passing. Maintaining separate solutions for password management, remote access, endpoint protection, and certificates is becoming too expensive and complex. The trend of 2026 is a Unified Identity Platform that covers all access management issues in a single interface.

Evolution of Access Management

The market demands a transition from outdated "heavy" solutions to agile platforms. Let's compare approaches:

Traditional PAM

• Focus: Protecting only administrators (humans).
• Architecture: Complex implementation, high cost of ownership.
• Response: Manual incident analysis.

Modern Identity Security (Segura)

• Focus: Protecting humans, machines, APIs, and contractors.
• Architecture: Fast deployment (min to install), intuitive interface.
• Response: Automatic response to anomalies in real-time.

Why Choose Softprom and Segura

As an official distributor, Softprom offers not just licenses, but full expert support. Segura solutions are consistently recognized as leaders in Gartner and KuppingerCole reports due to the best price-to-functionality ratio. We help companies build a security architecture ready for the challenges of 2026.

Don't wait until a vulnerability becomes an incident. Ensure full visibility of your infrastructure now.