Cyber resilience in 2026: Expert predictions that could save your enterprise

As 2025 draws to a close, Cohesity’s predictions for the year have proven useful, if not 100% accurate. Software supply-chain attacks continued apace. The cybersecurity talent shortage persisted. Public cloud spending kept rising, but repatriation remained a popular strategy.

On the AI front, the biggest 2025 wins were individual productivity rather than sweeping enterprise transformation. Meanwhile, the predicted AI-powered arms race in cyber became a reality: 53% of enterprises prioritized deploying AI agents for IT and cybersecurity, and attackers responded in kind.

With that track record in the rear-view mirror, here are Cohesity’s predictions for 2026—and what they mean for every organization protecting its most critical asset: data. The three predictions we’re sharing below are from our new eBook.

Prediction: Cybersecurity budgets will pivot toward response and recovery

As AI tools amplify attacker capabilities, IT and security leaders will reallocate at least a third of their cyber resilience budgets toward response and recovery to limit downtime and reduce financial fallout.

The recent Cohesity Global Cyber Resilience Report hints at this budgetary swing. Seventy percent of publicly traded companies said they adjusted financial guidance following a major cyberattack, and 73% of private firms reported redirecting budgets from innovation and growth to incident response and recovery.

Prediction: Attackers will weaponize AI to scale ransomware operations

Ransomware gangs will use AI to speed everything from recruitment to ransom negotiation, driving a surge in AI-powered cyberattacks.

In 2026, attackers will make their operations more efficient by using AI to accelerate every stage of the ransomware process—reaching more targets, mutating faster, and ultimately generating more payments. This shift will expand both the reach and sophistication of ransomware campaigns, making large-scale attacks cheaper and easier to launch. As a result, organizations will need higher accuracy and faster detection across their data estate, practice incident response, and bolster recovery capabilities.

An AI-assisted cyber espionage campaign was in the news just a few weeks ago—expect more of this in the year ahead.

Prediction: Hybrid cloud architectures will continue to dominate as cost pressures surge

IT leaders will double-down on hybrid and sovereign cloud strategies to manage costs while maintaining agility, control, and compliance.

This trend reflects the growing need for flexibility. Organizations want access to new innovative cloud services and the freedom to run workloads where it makes the most sense—with predictable costs and control over their most important data. Hybrid strategies are also highly pragmatic and help optimize limited resources, giving leaders more control over cost, performance, and risk.

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AI is advancing at a pace that outstrips most organizations' ability to adapt, fundamentally transforming how data is stored, secured, and governed across enterprises. This rapid evolution expands the threat surface, while cybercriminals use AI to orchestrate sophisticated new attacks. Compounding these challenges are mounting economic, regulatory, and geopolitical pressures, compelling leaders to balance cost, control, and compliance in an increasingly volatile landscape.

In 2026, these dynamics will converge, presenting both risks and opportunities for cyber resilience. 

Download the full eBook now to dive deeper into these trends—and three more—and learn how to implement strategies that safeguard your enterprise in the year ahead.