The past few years have seen business leaders navigate some incredibly disruptive forces – whether that’s pandemic-driven digital transformation to economic volatility, supply chain shocks, and now, the rapid rise of generative AI. What began as a wave of innovation is fast becoming a test of resilience.

As artificial intelligence seeps into every corner of business, it’s also redefining how cyber threats emerge and evolve. Deepfakes, synthetic identities, and AI-generated attacks are blurring the lines between truth and deception, while increasingly complex supply chains expose every organisation to vulnerabilities they can’t directly control.

For business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders alike, 2026 will be the year when cybersecurity stops being an IT problem and becomes a strategic pillar of trust. Those that fail to adapt risk more than data loss, they risk customer confidence, investor trust, and brand credibility.

The good news is that awareness is growing. Boards are asking sharper questions, regulators are raising expectations, and businesses are beginning to treat security as a measure of integrity, not inconvenience.

From deepfake detection to quantum-safe encryption, the coming year will force every organisation to look at security not just as protection, but as progress. With this in mind, here are six key shifts we see shaping the digital business landscape in 2026, and what leaders can do today to stay ahead.

1. Deepfakes Will Force a Rethink of Digital Trust

Generative AI has made deception effortless. With anyone now able to create convincing audio or video deepfakes in seconds, visual and verbal cues can no longer be trusted for identity verification. In 2026, expect a shift towards “multi-factor authentication for life – a world where every high-risk interaction, even a video call, requires real-time validation.

For businesses, this means building continuous, multi-layered trust into communication tools and customer platforms. Security will no longer depend on spotting fakes with the naked eye but on embedding intelligent verification into the technologies we use every day.

2. An AI Coding Flaw Could Take Down a Major Company

Enterprises are only as strong as their weakest link, and that link often lies in their supply chain. As AI becomes integral to software development, the risk of flawed AI-generated code entering production rises sharply. One defective update or compromised repository could unleash “SolarWinds on steroids.”

For business leaders, this is a wake-up call: third-party security must become a board-level priority. Rigorous supplier audits, transparent software provenance, and AI code testing will be essential to prevent catastrophic dependencies.

3. AI Will Democratise Cybercrime

The democratisation of AI means that anyone – regardless of technical skill – can now generate and deploy sophisticated malicious code. What was once the preserve of expert hackers is now available to the curious and the reckless alike.

This shift means organisations can no longer expect predictable “attack seasons.” Instead, they face a persistent, AI-fuelled background hum of threat. The takeaway? Businesses must invest in always-on detection and response capabilities and educate staff to recognise the warning signs of increasingly personalised attacks.

4. A ‘Wrecking Ball Moment’ Will Accelerate Post-Quantum Cryptography

Quantum computing poses a looming challenge to today’s encryption. Like the sudden pivot to remote work in 2020, a major “wrecking ball” event – perhaps a large-scale quantum breach or revelation of “harvest now, decrypt later” activity – will force enterprises to act fast.

In 2026, expect accelerated investment in Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), with vendors producing cryptographic “Bills of Materials” to prove their readiness. Businesses that get ahead of this curve will position themselves as trusted partners in a quantum-safe future.

5. Insider Threats Will Emerge from Unexpected Places

Cyber gangs are increasingly targeting insiders – often employees with little or no technical expertise – by offering financial incentives in tough economic times. The result? A rise in non-technical insider threats that bypass even the strongest technical defences.

To counter this, organisations will turn back to in-person verification and office-based trust-building, particularly for high-risk roles. Expect hybrid work to evolve again, blending flexibility with new security checks designed to ensure people are who they say they are.

6. Cyber Fatigue Will Drive a New Focus on Posture Management

After years of compliance audits, data privacy pressures, and constant cyber alerts, fatigue is setting in. In 2026, boards will demand clarity over capability – not just where data lives, but how secure it really is.

Strong posture management will become the hallmark of resilient enterprises: those that accept cyberattacks as inevitable but focus on detecting, containing, and recovering quickly. The lesson for business leaders? Cyber resilience isn’t about perfection – it’s about visibility, agility, and preparedness.

From deepfakes to quantum computing, 2026 will redefine what digital trust means in business. Leaders who embed security into their culture, not as a compliance task but as a competitive advantage, will be best placed to thrive in this new reality.

Chris Harris, EMEA Technical Director, Cybersecurity Products at Thales.