Preparing for next year’s cyber threats doesn’t require a crystal ball; it requires insight into the clear trends shaping the actions of criminals and nation-states. For Canadian SMBs, understanding this landscape is the first step in building an effective defense. Here’s what the experts forecast for 2026 and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
The Top 3 Threats to Prepare for Now
Based on forecasts from leading threat intelligence teams, three evolving threat vectors demand your immediate attention.
- AI-Enabled Social Engineering & Deepfakes: Attackers are moving beyond generic phishing. In 2026, highly targeted voice phishing (vishing) is expected using AI-cloned voices of executives or your IT support to trick employees into transferring funds or sharing passwords. Hyper-realistic fake videos (deepfakes) could be used for disinformation or fraud.
- Ransomware Targeting Your Weakest Link: Ransomware remains the top financially disruptive threat, but tactics are shifting. Attacks will increasingly focus on third-party suppliers and managed service providers (MSPs) to gain a foothold into multiple victim networks at once. A single breach at a vendor can cascade to you.
- Semi-Autonomous “Agentic AI” Attacks: Cybercriminals will begin using AI agents that can autonomously probe networks, chain together exploits, and adapt their tactics. This isn’t just faster hacking; it’s a persistent, learning threat that operates 24/7 to find your weaknesses.
Your 2026 Action Plan: Defense in Depth
Knowing the threats is only half the battle. Here is your actionable defense plan, built on a “defense-in-depth” strategy.
- Mitigate AI Social Engineering:
- Action: Implement mandatory cybersecurity awareness training that includes examples of AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones.
- Action: Enforce a verbal verification protocol for all financial transactions or sensitive data requests received via phone or email. Require a callback to a known, official number using a pre-established process.
- Harden Against Supply Chain & Ransomware Attacks:
- Action: Review and minimize administrative access granted to third-party vendors. Ensure they adhere to strict security standards.
- Action: Validate that your backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution is robust, frequently tested, and completely isolated from your main network (air-gapped or immutable). This is your ultimate ransom-proof solution.
- Defend Against Automated AI Threats:
- Action: Advocate for the adoption of AI-powered security tools on your network. Use AI to fight AI; next-gen tools can detect anomalous behavior and automated attacks that traditional signature-based tools miss.
- Action: Patch faster. Adversaries use AI to reverse-engineer security patches into exploits within hours. Move from scheduled patching cycles to a continuous, prioritized model for critical vulnerabilities.
The Proactive Stance
The 2026 threat landscape is defined by speed, scale, and sophistication. A passive, reactive security posture will fail. The key is to build layered defenses, foster a culture of security awareness, and ensure your technology partners are prepared to defend against these next-generation threats.
Future-proof your business. Let’s discuss how to translate these 2026 threat forecasts into a concrete security roadmap for your organization. Schedule a Threat Landscape Briefing.