Last year was another great one for cybercriminals. Not because attack vectors became more sophisticated or because criminals launched more successful attacks — though they did — but because companies didn’t take any real action to protect themselves against known threats. So bad actors simply launched the same attacks, sometimes against the same companies, and were successful.
Looking ahead to 2026, the biggest threat isn’t going to be a new AI-enabled, complex social engineering scam — it’s more likely to be cyber fatigue.
Executives are tired of hearing about the dire state of cybersecurity. They know the threats, they know the solutions, but erecting an effective security program is often deemed too big, too complex, too expensive, and too small a priority for the coming year. So, minimal effort is put into building up the company’s security posture, allowing the same threats to remain.
Old or duplicate credentials are still easily swiped from employees without the proper training, criminals continue to enter organizations through unpatched systems, and poor vendor oversight leads to more supply chain attacks.
If companies want to get serious about security and provide real protection for their organizations, they will need to close the gap between awareness and action.
Microsoft’s 2025 Digital Defense Report didn’t look terribly different than last year’s. Cyber criminals are still after the same things — money and data. More than half (52%) of cyberattacks with known motives had financial objectives such as extortion or ransom, and 37% aimed to steal data. Only 4% were motivated solely by espionage. This means that businesses, large and small across all industries, are at risk.
When it comes to the way bad actors are breaking in, credentials are the weak link. More than 97% of identity attacks are password spray or brute force attacks, meaning modern multi-factor identification and employee training should continue to be key components of any defense strategy. In fact, MFA continues to block more than 99% of unauthorized access attempts, making it one of the most effective security measures a company can implement.
Social engineering also remains an effective tactic for cybercriminals. In the first half of 2025, identity-based attacks rose 32%. While this increase could, in part, be due to the increased use of AI to craft highly convincing social engineering scams — something experts predicted at the start of the year — mostly it indicates that cyber criminals are running the same social engineering attacks they have for years, and we’re letting them get away with it. Now they’re just doing it better and faster.
So, what does this all mean? It means we knew what the biggest cyber threats would be in 2025, and yet didn’t do enough to stop them. Cyber threats aren’t evolving faster than defense mechanisms; they’re evolving faster than our actions.
So why are we failing to protect our organizations, even those organizations with security programs in place? It’s because we’re not doing security well. For many C-suite executives and company owners, cybersecurity programs are built to check boxes, to ensure the organization complies with federal regulations, or that it meets insurance requirements. But having a few security tools or processes in place isn’t the same as true resilience.
For example, in the first half of 2025, Allianz reported that the overall frequency of cyber claim notifications was consistent with the previous year, hovering around 300, meaning 300 companies with cyber insurance still suffered from attacks. Similarly, the Travelers 2025 Risk Index found that 60% of victims of cyberattacks were hit multiple times. And the 2025 Swimlane report found that 92% of organizations experiencing a security incident in the past year felt stronger cyber hygiene could have prevented it.
These alarming numbers continue to prove that organizations know what cyber resiliency looks like, yet they are failing to take the actions they need to provide real protection. Security frameworks, certifications, and cyber insurance aren’t cutting it. Company leaders need to start viewing cyberattacks as a business threat and shift from checking a box to building out a thoughtful cybersecurity strategy.
Every year, roundups are released of the biggest cyberattacks of the previous year. This year was no different, with some major players, including Google, getting hit. What’s especially alarming about these attacks is that the attack vectors weren’t particularly revolutionary. In fact, they were all tried-and-true tactics for which organizations should have been prepared.
Executives and security experts need not worry about novelty cyberattacks. The same old tactics are working just fine — too often on the same victims. Companies are hit with multiple attacks because they aren’t learning and taking enough action after the first breach. This just proves that security awareness isn’t the issue; taking appropriate action is.
We know the threats; we know the solutions. So, how do we break the cycle and become cyber resilient in 2026? We have to move from awareness to action, implementing programs that are measurably resilient — and that starts at the top.
CISO predicts that cybercrime will cost organizations $10.5 trillion by the end of 2025, and IBM’s 2025 report puts the global average cost of a data breach at $4.4 million. Cyberattacks are a major enterprise risk and shouldn’t be treated as IT’s problem. Company leaders need to be active participants in their security programs, investing in them and encouraging participation from the C-suite down.
Executive teams should look at threats specific to their organization and come up with a comprehensive program to defend against those threats. Maintaining that program should be an ongoing initiative with measurable performance metrics that hold the board or leadership team accountable. Security needs to be built into every process and product. In 2026, AI, automation, and supply chain risks aren’t tech projects — they’re operational priorities.
Cybersecurity is never complete — it requires constant monitoring, tweaking, and improvements. In 2026, companies need to replace annual cybersecurity checkbox exercises with scenario testing and red teaming, whether that’s done in-house or through a third-party security partner.
Because 97% of attacks still rely on user passwords, companies need to set up better access and identity requirements. Only 87% of large businesses and 35% of small and medium-sized businesses use MFA despite its effectiveness. Companies should also require employees to change passwords regularly and implement strict guidelines to ensure weak passwords are a thing of the past. Login attempts should be limited, with accounts locking down after a high number of failed login attempts. Additionally, quality security training is a worthwhile investment, given that the total average cost of insider incidents in 2025 was a whopping $17.4 million.
According to SecurityScorecard’s 2025 Supply Chain Cybersecurity Trends report, more than 70% of organizations said they experienced at least one material third-party cybersecurity incident in the past year, and 88% are concerned about supply chain attacks. Despite the high rate of incidents and concern, 36% of respondents claimed that only 1 to 10% of their supply chain is actually protected, and a majority felt they had limited visibility into supply chain risk. Companies must create strict security guidelines for vendors and monitor supply chain risk continuously. Companies will also benefit from a zero-trust mentality to ensure they are protected, regardless of with whom they’re working.
The Ponemon Institute claims that it takes 241 days to detect and contain a breach, which gives bad actors plenty of time to move through an organization, collect information, and cause damage. They also found that less than half of the surveyed companies have an incident response plan in place or plan to invest in one. In 2022, the Ponemon Institute noted that companies with no formal incident response plan paid 58% more per breach compared to those with structured, tested response protocols. Data breaches are inevitable even with defenses in place, that means companies need to be ready to respond with a structured and tested IR plan.
It’s time for real accountability. Awareness isn’t enough; companies have to take action, and that action must start at the highest possible level. CEOs, company owners, and board members need to take a more active role in security and treat cyber threats as a serious enterprise risk. Afterall, leaders wouldn’t ignore safety audits or financial controls, so why are security controls, that could stop a $4.4 million data breach, treated differently?
Executives and security experts don’t need to read another article on the top 10 threats of 2026. They already know what those are. They need to commit to making 2026 the year of taking action against the threats. Action, rather than awareness, will be the difference between companies that fall victim to malicious activity and those that stand resilient and strong.
SolCyber helps organizations of all sizes to move, simply and efficiently, from aware to protected. Rather than offering point solutions or partial services, we deliver fully managed end-to-end cyber security programs that offer true protection — and our clients realize a 150% cost savings over DIY security.
If you’re ready to take action in 2026 and close the gap between being aware of cyber threats to being protected against them, contact the experts at SolCyber today.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
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