THE Cyber Security Report 2026, published on 28 January 2026, is a Check Point Research publication that consolidates findings from 2025 to map the threat landscape into 2026. According to Check Point Research, artificial intelligence is now embedded across the attack lifecycle, accelerating execution and enabling more convincing social engineering and faster reconnaissance, with AI also creating direct enterprise risk through prompts and workflow concerns.
The report notes ransomware operations are becoming more fragmented and targeted, shifting away from centralized brands toward smaller operators, with increased use of data-only extortion and personalised tactics. It highlights unmonitored devices such as routers, VPN appliances and edge devices as high‑value initial access targets, often sitting outside standard security controls and enabling persistence and lateral movement.
GeopoliticalDrivers are observed in cyber activity, with operations aligning to real-world tensions and involving coordinated espionage and disruption, while common patterns across trends include speed, scale and reduced visibility. The piece also points to Chinese-nexus threats as industrialised and globally distributed, using edge infrastructure and rapid weaponisation of zero‑days.