5 Cyber + AI Trends Smart CISOs Are Watching Now

As we step into 2026, the pace of change is not slowing. AI adoption, increase cyber insurance pressures, and attacker sophistication are already reshaping the risk landscape.

Most teams will start paying attention now. The ones who stay ahead are already connecting the dots.

Here are five cybersecurity and AI trends worth watching early in the year, because these are the conversations you will be having by Q2 whether you are ready or not.

1. AI Is the New Insider Threat

Prediction: Shadow AI use becomes the number one blind spot.

What to Watch:

• Unsanctioned AI tools in everyday workflows

• Prompt-sharing risks

• A lack of clarity on what is “safe” to use

Why It Matters: Employees are already using AI. Most organizations still lack visibility, inventory, or boundaries. That’s insider risk without malicious intent, but with real impact.

2. Detection Without AI Context Is Blind

Prediction: Traditional detection tools miss critical risks when AI systems are part of decision-making or data flow.

What to Watch:

• Prompts, responses, and model interactions with your apps and data

• Gaps where AI activity is invisible to your existing tooling

Why It Matters: If your SOC cannot see how AI is being used, you cannot reliably detect misuse or manipulation. AI security requires context-aware detection, not just traditional alerts.

3. AI-Powered Phishing Gets Personal

Prediction: Attacks begin mimicking real executive communication patterns in voice, video, and writing.

What to Watch:

• Deepfake audio and video

• Executive impersonation emails with accurate tone and writing style

• Time-sensitive “urgency” messages generated by AI

Why It Matters: These attacks will not simply look real. They will feel familiar. Your leaders need to be prepared, and your users need training that reflects current techniques.

4. Your AI Stack Is a Supply Chain Risk

Prediction: AI plug-ins, APIs, and embedded models inside vendor tools become hidden weak points.

What to Watch:

• Opaque vendor models

• Silent updates to LLM components

• Third-party integrations that operate without visibility

Why It Matters: If you do not know what AI your vendors have embedded and how those components behave, you are inheriting risk you cannot measure.

Baseline Move: Your AI governance framework should include a clear inventory and review process for every AI component across your environment.

5. Insurance Audits Start Asking AI Questions

Prediction: Underwriters tighten requirements and expand exclusions tied to AI exposure.

What to Watch:

• AI-specific language in policy documents

• Controls around prompt use and AI-assisted tools

• Third-party AI involvement in critical workflows

Why It Matters: There may not be a headline breach tied to an AI insurance denial yet, and that silence is a warning. Without audit trails and transparency from vendors, insurers have ample room to challenge claims.

Not sure where your AI exposure sits in 2026?

In just two minutes, map your readiness across 10 critical domains.

Before You Sign Off for the Year

We’re hosting a small AI Risk Conclave in February: a working session for AI and security leaders who want to compare notes and stay ahead of what’s coming.