Fortinet’s 2026 Cyberthreat Predictions: How Cybercrime Becomes Faster and More Organized

Fortinet has released its 2026 Cyberthreat Predictions Report, offering a clear look at how cybercrime is evolving. The findings show a major shift toward speed, automation, and organized underground markets. Instead of inventing new tools as often, attackers will spend 2026 using AI and automation to move faster and launch more attacks simultaneously.

Bambi Escalante, Fortinet Philippines Country Manager “For defenders, the shift we are seeing is profound. Static configurations and periodic assessments can’t keep pace with an environment where attackers automate reconnaissance, privilege escalation, and extortion in minutes. What organizations need is a unified, adaptive security posture, one that brings together threat intelligence, exposure management, and incident response into a continuous, AI-enabled workflow. At Fortinet, our focus is on helping customers build this level of resilience so they can act at the same speed as the threats they face and strengthen their ability to contain attacks before disruption occurs.”

 

Cybercrime Shifts From Innovation to Speed
According to FortiGuard Labs, AI and automation will handle many of the tasks attackers used to do manually. This includes scouting targets, breaking into networks, reviewing stolen files, and even generating ransom messages. With these processes automated, attackers will be able to run more campaigns and shorten the time from intrusion to damage, from days to minutes. Speed becomes the most important factor, and organizations will need to keep up.

AI Agents Will Play a Bigger Role
Fortinet expects a new wave of AI agents created specifically to support cybercriminals. These agents won’t be fully independent yet, but they will help steal credentials, move across systems silently, and turn stolen data into profit. Once a database is obtained, AI tools will quickly analyze it, identify the most profitable victims, and create personalized extortion messages. This means stolen data will be converted into cash much faster than today.

The underground economy will also evolve. Instead of generic access bundles, sellers will offer more specific services based on industry, location, and system type. Botnet rentals, credential-rental packages, and automation tools will become more specialized. Black markets will even adopt features like customer support, rating systems, and automated escrow—pushing cybercrime closer to full industrialization.

Jonas Walker, Director of Threat Intelligence APAC & Middle East, FortiGuard Labs “The findings clearly show that cybercrime is no longer an opportunistic activity, it is an industrialized system operating at machine speed. As automation, specialization, and AI redefine every stage of the attack lifecycle, the time between compromise and consequence continues to collapse. The road ahead will be shaped by how quickly defenders can adapt to this reality. Cybersecurity has become a race of systems, not individuals, and organizations will need integrated intelligence, continuous validation, and real-time response to stay ahead of adversaries who measure success by throughput, not novelty.”

Defenders Must Respond at Machine Speed
As attacks speed up, defenders need to match that pace. FortiGuard Labs predicts security operations will shift to what it calls machine-speed defense. This means reducing detection and response times from hours to minutes through continuous monitoring, fast validation, and rapid containment.
Organizations will also need to rely more on frameworks like CTEM and MITRE ATT&CK to map ongoing threats and prioritize fixes. Identity will become the center of security, and it will no longer apply only to people. Automated agents, AI tools, and machine-to-machine systems will all need to be authenticated and managed to prevent large-scale breaches.

Global Collaboration Becomes Essential
With cybercrime becoming more structured, global cooperation will be even more important. Programs like INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti 2.0, which Fortinet supports, show how shared intelligence can break down criminal networks. The new Fortinet–Crime Stoppers International Cybercrime Bounty program will also help communities safely report cyberthreats.

FortiGuard Labs expects more educational efforts focused on young or at-risk individuals who may be drawn into online crime. Preventing the next generation of cybercriminals will require early intervention and guidance.

What to Expect Beyond 2026
By 2027, Fortinet predicts cybercrime will operate at a scale comparable to major global industries. AI-driven swarm attacks, more advanced supply-chain threats, and targeted attacks on AI and embedded systems are expected to rise. Defenders will need tools that can predict attacker behavior, automate responses, and contain threats before they spread.

The next era of cybersecurity will depend on how effectively humans and machines can work together. Organizations that combine intelligence, automation, and skilled teams will be better prepared for the fast-moving threats ahead.

-

Subscribe to our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, and YouTube. to receive the latest news and updates.