In 2026, organizations are already managing attack surfaces that are larger, more fragmented, and more volatile than in previous years. As the year progresses, attack surfaces will continue to expand in scope and complexity, making them harder to secure consistently.

We’ve spoken to senior Outpost24 experts to help you understand the challenges and opportunities ahead and how Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Attack Surface Management (ASM) programs must adapt to an evolving threat landscape in 2026.

What will happen with ASM in 2026?

ASM will continue to play a pivotal role in proactive cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks such as the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) place clear expectations on organizations to manage exposure across their digital environments.

“It will be essential for companies to have a mature ASM solution, as well as keeping up with the upcoming EU directives, CRA to mention one.“

Olivia Brännlund, CISO

For regulated and high-risk sectors, including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, reliance on reactive security practices is increasingly insufficient and, in some cases, non-compliant. Organisations should invest in ASM tools that support compliance while enabling a more proactive approach to managing exposure. While prevention will remain a top priority, in 2026 we will also see greater emphasis put on resilience.

How will AI impact attack surfaces, and what should be done to secure them?

“ASM will become more relevant as organizations widely adopt and deploy AI services. Attacks will accelerate, helped by AI, so security teams have to scramble with lower times to remediate.”

Sergio Loureiro, VP of Product Strategy

AI related security risks are already creating challenges for organizations, and this trend will continue through 2026.

Verifying identity is crucial to protecting attack surfaces in the face of AI-enabled attacks. Phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) or passwordless authentication, real-time risk assessment, and device posture enforcement are all key measures that ensure access is only granted once identity is verified.

“AI significantly expands the human attack surface by enabling highly targeted phishing, automated credential abuse, and exploitation of unmanaged or compromised devices, making identity and user behaviour the primary breach vectors rather than infrastructure alone. Securing this surface requires moving beyond static credentials to a Zero Trust model that continuously validates both the user and their device.”

Darren James, Senior Product Manager

AI tools deployed within organizations can also significantly expand the attack surface. These tools often operate deep inside internal environments, with broad access to systems and data across business functions. Techniques such as prompt injection can coerce AI-driven applications into exposing sensitive information or internal logic. Mitigating these risks means ensuring the right safeguards are in place, including configured data access controls and regular reviews.

Will organizations get better at managing their attack surfaces?

“Cybersecurity is always a “cat and mouse” game and forever evolving. Organizations have to adapt quickly to each threat as it appears.”

Darren James, Senior Product Manager

This adaptability is even more crucial in 2026 as the traditional security perimeter continues to dissolve. Organizations now operate across on-premises, remote, software-as-a-service, and multi-cloud environments, requiring security strategies that are flexible and protect access wherever the users or assets reside.

AI will play an increasingly important role as a tool for both attackers and defenders. For security teams, it will enhance prioritization and remediation by enabling more effective attack surface management. AI-driven ASM capabilities can rapidly identify unknown or unmanaged assets, correlate exposure with active threat intelligence, and help teams focus limited resources on the risks most likely to be exploited.

How will cybercriminals evolve their tactics?

“Commoditization of malware will continue to expand, providing more advanced and comprehensive toolsets for carrying out malware attacks […] the focus will increasingly be on the use of AI to implement social engineering techniques with higher success rates”

Lidia Lopez, Senior Threat Intel Researcher

Cybercriminal tactics will evolve to mirror the same AI-driven efficiencies defenders are adopting. With AI, attackers can exploit trust rather than technical flaws. Context-aware phishing and voice deepfakes will become more convincing and scalable, enabling highly targeted social engineering and business email compromise.

As a result, credential theft alone will give way to session hijacking, MFA fatigue, and device-level compromise as attackers target authentication workflows and endpoints. We can also expect increased abuse of non-human identities like service accounts and AI agents, alongside automated lateral movement and “living-off-the-land” techniques designed to blend seamlessly into normal user behavior.

“Overall, cybercrime will become faster, stealthier, and more identity-centric, forcing defenders to assume breach, continuously verify users and devices, and detect behavioural anomalies rather than relying on perimeter or static controls.”

Darren James, Senior Product Manager

What technology will support ASM?

For defenders, AI-enabled attacks present a significant challenge. As adversaries automate attacks, organizations will operate with a narrow margin for error. Maintaining continuous, real-time visibility into the attack surface will be critical for keeping pace with these evolving threats. AI will play a central role in enabling this shift.

Modern ASM technologies will improve risk assessment by correlating exposures with contextual signals such as active exploit activity, asset criticality, and potential business impact. AI will support more effective prioritization and remediation by helping security teams focus on the vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited and automating response actions where appropriate.

What challenges will CISOs face in 2026?

In 2026, the CISO role will be reshaped from a technical guardian to an enterprise risk leader. CISOs will face increased threat from AI-enabled attacks, while under organizational pressure to move faster with fewer resources. Securing the human and identity attack surface will be a significant challenge as traditional perimeter controls continue to erode.

At the same time, CISOs will be responsible for governing enterprise AI adoption. They’ll need to balance innovation against risks such as data leakage, often in the absence of mature legal frameworks or technical standards.

“Beyond the emerging AI threat there’s some new legislation that may affect several EU companies in 2026, keeping up with those and ensuring compliance will be a challenge in the coming year.”

Olivia Brännlund, CISO

CISOs will also face heightened scrutiny from boards and regulators, with greater accountability for translating cyber risk into business impact. They’ll need to demonstrate measurable risk reduction and prove organizational resilience in an environment where breaches are assumed rather than exceptional.

Will security budgets increase in 2026?

Enterprises spent lavishly on AI in 2025 and are now realizing that security needs to catch up.

According to Gartner, most cybersecurity budgets will increase in 2026, at around 12%-13%. This means global spend on security will grow from $213 Billion in 2025 to $240 Billion in 2026.

However, there’s an important nuance: many CISOs feel even rising budgets may still fall short of what’s needed to manage evolving risks, reflecting a gap between funding and the scale of AI-driven threats.

How will CISOs support compliance in 2026?

Regulatory pressures will intensify in 2026. CISOs will need to move toward continuous compliance integrated into day-to-day security operations. This shift will involve aligning security with evolving regulations like GDPR, NIS2, DORA, and the EU AI Act, while leveraging automation and GRC platforms, delivering real-time evidence of control effectiveness.

“Collaborations between different departments is crucial for ensuring the legislations are met.”

Olivia Brännlund, CISO

CISOs will need to work more closely with stakeholders across the business to interpret and meet these obligations, and clearly articulate regulatory risk and accountability at the board level. Compliance in 2026 means ensuring it is treated as an ongoing business capability rather than a reactive, last-minute exercise.

“As Olivia has said, it is not only about tools and technical solutions. Fostering collaboration is key.”

Sergio Loureiro, VP of Product Strategy

If you’re interested in seeing how attack surface management solutions can support your organization’s defense, or are looking to get more out of your current setup, speak to an Outpost24 expert today.