The Good Tech Companies - SpyCloud Unveils Top 10 Cybersecurity Predictions Poised to Disrupt Identity Security In 2026

Episode Date: November 18, 2025

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/spycloud-unveils-top-10-cybersecurity-predictions-poised-to-disrupt-identity-security-in-2026. Forecast report highlights surge in identity-based threats, evolving threat actor tactics, and increased risk from AI and insider threats. Check more stories related to cybersecurity at: https://hackernoon.com/c/cybersecurity. You can also check exclusive content about #cybersecurity, #spycloud, #cybernewswire, #press-release, #spycloud-announcement, #cyber-threats, #cybercrime, #good-company, and more. This story was written by: @cybernewswire. Learn more about this writer by checking @cybernewswire's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. SpyCloud released its report,  The Identity Security Reckoning: 2025 Lessons, 2026 Predictions. The report outlines 10 of the top trends that will shape the cyber threat landscape in the coming year.

This audio is presented by Hacker Noon, where anyone can learn anything about any technology. SpyCloud unveils top 10 cybersecurity predictions poised to disrupt identity security in 26 by Cyber Newswire. Austin, Texas, USA, November 18, 2025, Cyber NewsWire, Spy Cloud, the leader in identity threat protection, today released its report, The Identity Security Reckoning, 2025 lessons, 2026 predictions, outlining 10 of the top trends de twill shape the cyber threat landscape in the coming year. The predictions, based on observed and analyzed cybercrime activities from the past year and Spike Cloud's proprietary research and recaptured identity intelligence, shed light on the

evolving tactics of cyber criminals and the identity-based threat security teams need to anticipate. Greater than identity misuse is threaded throughout nearly every trend outlined in the greater-than report, from malware-driven session hijacking to synthetic identities and greater than exposed non-human credentials, said Damon Fleury, Spike Cloud's chief product officer. As attackers exploit this expanding footprint, organizations will be greater than forced to rethink how they detect, respond to, and prevent identity threats greater than across their entire ecosystem. Spike Cloud's top 10 identity-driven threats that will shape 2006 to 1. The cybercriminal supply chain continues to transform. Malware as a service and fishing as a service will remain core

enablers of cybercrime, but 2026 will bring new, specialized roles in the criminal economy that will make it easier for bad actors to operate at scale and with startup-like efficiency. These specialized roles include infrastructure providers, tool developers, access brokers, and even support services. Two, threat actor communities will fragment, evolve, and get younger, law enforcement crackdowns and platform policy changes will continue pushing threat actors from darknet forums to mainstream apps. But perhaps more alarming is the influx of teen cybercriminals experimenting with plug and play attack kits for clout, profit, or curiosity. 2025 was also a big year for exposing Chinese cybercrime tactics, a trend expected to continue in 26 alongside the rise of Latin

America as a new hotbed for fraud and organized threat activity. Three, the non-human identity, NHA, explosion will fuel hidden risks, driven at least in part by the proliferation of AI tools and services, APIs, Oath tokens, and service accounts, known as NHIs, are proliferating across cloud environments. These NHAs often lack protections found more commonly in human-based credentials, like multi-factor authentication, MFA, and device fingerprinting. As these machine credentials quietly amass privileged access to critical systems, they create stealthy entry points for attackers and serious compliance gaps for enterprises. 4. Insider threats will be fueled by M&A, malware, and missteps. In 2026, security teams will

grapple with risks from compromised users, employment fraud from nation-state bad actors, and M&A activity that introduces inherited vulnerabilities and identity access sprawl. The human element will continue to be a weak point in proactive defense. 5. AI-enabled cybercrime has only just gotten started. In 2026, AI will increasingly be used by bad actors to craft better malware, more believable fishing, and quickly triage vulnerable environments, increasing the overall risk to enterprises posed by this rapidly advancing technology. 6. Attackers will find creative ways around MFA. This year, SpyCloud found that 66% of malware infections bypassed endpoint protections. Expect to see more trending methods used to bypass MFA and other session defenses. Residential proxies to spoof location authentication measures, anti-detect browsers to bypass device

fingerprinting, adversary in the middle, 8M attacks used to fish credentials and steal valid cookies. 7. Vendors and contractors will test enterprise defenses. Vendors and contractors continue to be a preferred attack vector to access enterprises. In 2026, organizations will need to treat third party and contractor exposed identities with the same rigor as employee accounts, especially in tech, telecom, and software supply chains where threats are most acute and have a broader impact. 8. Synthetic identities will get smarter and harder to spot. Criminals are assembling fake identities from real, stolen data and then enhancing them with AI generated personas and deepfakes to defeat verification checks. With banks already flagging synthetic identity fraud as a top concern,

expect this to become a front-page issue in 2026. 9. Distractions like combalists and megabreeches will obscure real threats. Expect more viral headlines touting billions of records leaked, even as many stem from recycled data found in combalists or infestiler logs. Collections of already exposed records repackaged by criminals to generate hype, fear, and cloud. While older, unremediated data can still cause risk for organizations, these events often trigger widespread concern and divert attention away from more immediate, actionable threats.

10. Cyber security teams will restructure to tackle new threat realities. As identity security becomes the common denominator across fraud, cyber, and risk workflows, teams will prioritize cross-functional collaboration, automation, and holistic identity intelligence to drive faster, more accurate decisions. Greater than, with the speed that technology moves, Cybercrime evolves in lockstep and it's greater than equal parts fascinating to watch and challenging to keep up with, said Trevor, Hillegos, Spike Cloud's head of security research. Greater than, the commoditization and influence of the dark web will continue to complicate greater than things, making 2026 another nonstop year for defenders.

Understanding the TDP's greater than of these cybercriminals and gaining insights into the data they find most greater than valuable will help these defenders continue to stay one step ahead and greater than positively impact these efforts in years to come. But you can be sure we'll greater than track these shifts in real time and enable our customers and partners to greater than effectively combat identity misuse in all of its forms. To explore the full report and see how Spy Cloud's holistic identity threat protection solutions help security teams prevent identity-based attacks like Ransomware, account takeover, and

fraud, users can click here. About SPY CloudSpy Cloud transforms recaptured Darknet data to destroy. disrupt cybercrime. Its automated identity threat protection solutions leverage advanced analytics and AI to proactively prevent ransomware and account takeover, detect insider threats, safeguard employee and consumer identities, and accelerate cybercrime investigations. SpyCloud's data from breaches, malware-infected devices, and successful fischasolso powers many popular dark web monitoring and identity theft protection offerings. Customers include seven of the Fortune 10, along with hundreds of global enterprises, mid-sized companies, and government agencies worldwide.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, SpyCloud is home to more than 200 cybersecurity experts whose mission is to protect businesses and consumers from the stolen identity data criminals are using to target them now. To learn more and see insights on your company's exposed data, users can visit SpyCloud.com contact account director Emily Brown R.EQ on behalf of SpyCloud Brown at Rec. CO This Story was published as a press release by CyberNewswire under Hackernoon Business Blogging Program. Do your own research before making any financial decision. Thank you for listening to this Hackernoon story, read by artificial intelligence. Visit hackernoon.com to read, write, learn and publish.