2025 has proven itself to be a groundbreaking year for networking, security and cloud. With the proliferation of AI technologies, new global regulations and the growing complexity of cloud infrastructure, IT teams have found themselves on constantly shifting sands. <\/p>\n
That state of flux is only set to accelerate in 2026. IT teams shouldn\u2019t just try to weather the storm; they need to be dynamic and adaptive, leaning into new approaches and continuously staying ahead of emerging threats. <\/p>\n
To help teams prepare for what\u2019s next, our Infoblox experts shared their predictions for how the IT landscape will evolve in 2026. <\/p>\n
\nScott Harrell, Chief Executive Officer <\/strong> Brad Rinklin, Chief Marketing Officer <\/strong> Craig Sanderson, Principal Cybersecurity Strategist <\/strong> Coleman Mehta, Head of Global Public Policy and Strategy <\/strong> Chris Usserman, Global Public Sector Chief Technology Officer <\/strong> John Wojcik, Senior Threat Researcher<\/strong> Scott Harrell, Chief Executive Officer <\/strong> Danelle Au, Vice President, Product Marketing <\/strong> Faraz Aladin, Vice President, Technical Marketing <\/strong> Scott Harrell, Chief Executive Officer <\/strong> Dr. Ren\u00e9e Burton, Head of Infoblox Threat Intel <\/strong> Chris Usserman, Global Public Sector Chief Technology Officer <\/strong> Cricket Liu, Executive Vice President and Chief Evangelist <\/strong> Protective DNS technologies will become more intelligent, incorporating behavioral analytics, machine learning and real-time traffic flow analysis. Instead of simply blocking known malicious domains, systems will detect anomalies in DNS queries\u2014such as unusual query volumes, timing patterns or geographic inconsistencies\u2014that may indicate command-and-control activity or data exfiltration. <\/p>\n Dr. Ren\u00e9e Burton, Head of Infoblox Threat Intel <\/strong> Mukesh Gupta, Chief Product Officer <\/strong> Ed Hunter, Senior Director, Information Security<\/strong>
\nThe mass personalization of cyberattacks will disrupt the classical kill chain model, making it more challenging for security teams to predict and prevent attacks\u2014and making it more likely organizations will be patient zero. With AI, attackers can tailor their strategies to target specific individuals or organizations, rendering traditional defense mechanisms less effective. This shift will require security teams to develop new approaches to detect and mitigate highly personalized threats. <\/p>\n
\nPolymorphic and sentient malware will become more prevalent, posing a significant threat to cybersecurity. This type of malware will be capable of changing its code and behavior to avoid detection, making it harder for security systems to identify and neutralize it. The emergence of sentient malware will mark a new era in cyberthreats, where AI-driven attacks become increasingly sophisticated and resilient. It\u2019s critical to invest in advanced detection and response capabilities to stay ahead of these evolving threats.<\/p>\n
\nThe hyper-personalization of attacks, as seen in Japan, will become more prevalent, making it harder to defend against targeted threats. Attackers will increasingly tailor their strategies to specific individuals or organizations, rendering traditional defense mechanisms less effective. This trend will require security teams to develop new approaches to detect and mitigate highly personalized threats. The challenge will be to stay one step ahead of attackers who are becoming more sophisticated in their methods. The obvious technological shift will be the use of AI in threat intelligence generation and a new approach that targets the infrastructure threat actors use, rather than targeting each campaign. <\/p>\nCybercrime-as-a-Service and the Democratization of Attacks<\/h3>\n
\nIn 2026, the ease of executing attacks without technical proficiency will lead to an increase in cyberthreats. As attack tools become more user-friendly, individuals who previously lacked the skills to launch cyberattacks will now be able to do so. This will result in a surge of cyberthreats. The democratization of cyberattack capabilities will pose a significant challenge for global cybersecurity efforts. <\/p>\n
\nCybercrime-as-a-service will supercharge financially motivated threat actors. Financially motivated groups are no longer limited by their in-house skills, largely fueled by an AI-enabled ecosystem. In 2026, they\u2019ll further expand their capabilities by tapping into a maturing cybercrime-as-a-service ecosystem, outsourcing everything from exploit kits to credential dumps and initial access brokers. This further industrialization of cybercrime will continue to blur the line between opportunistic and highly skilled adversaries, accelerating the pace and impact of financially motivated attacks. <\/p>\n
\nIn 2026, we will see a significant acceleration of automation within the cyber-enabled fraud industry in Southeast Asia. This region will face substantial challenges as cybercriminals and scam centers respond to mounting law enforcement pressure by increasing their rate of AI-driven tool adoption and integration amidst disruptions within their human labor supply chains. The use of deepfake software suites and jailbroken large language models for social engineering will become more prevalent, making it increasingly difficult to detect and prevent fraud. This shift will require a concerted effort to detect, let alone address and mitigate the growing threats. <\/p>\nThe Rise of Autonomous Systems and Agentic Operations<\/h3>\n
\nAs cloud infrastructure grows more dynamic and complex, the traditional human-led troubleshooting model is reaching its limits. Even without AI, the sheer scale and fluidity of modern cloud environments, combined with intricate networking and security layers, already challenge human comprehension. Add intelligent agents into the mix, and we\u2019re entering a world where machines not only detect anomalies faster than humans but also resolve them in ways that are too fast, too subtle and too interconnected for manual intervention. This represents a paradigm shift where human troubleshooting becomes obsolete and trust in autonomous systems becomes essential. <\/p>\n
\nIn 2026, SOC teams will increasingly use AI to reduce the burden on analysts, improving efficiency and effectiveness. By automating routine tasks like triage, forensic collection and real-time data correlation, AI will allow analysts to focus on more complex and strategic issues. The integration of AI into SOCs will be a game-changer for the cybersecurity industry. <\/p>\n
\nSecurity teams will need to undergo a mindset shift to fully utilize the capabilities of AI and stay ahead of emerging threats. Embracing AI as a critical component of our security strategy will be essential in addressing the increasing sophistication of cyberthreats. This shift will involve continuous learning and adaptation to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology landscape. By fully leveraging AI, we can enhance our defenses and better protect against future threats. <\/p>\nThe Expanding Attack Surface: IoT, Cloud and Supply Chain Vulnerabilities<\/h3>\n
\nIoT devices will become a bigger target for attacks due to the ease of creating and deploying attacks against them. The proliferation of IoT devices in homes and businesses presents an opportunity for attackers to get persistent footholds from which they can pivot and launch attacks or wreak havoc and create disruption of operations. With AI, it will be more attractive to develop and execute attacks on these devices, leading to an increase in IoT-related security incidents. <\/p>\n
\nThe adoption of cloud services for all aspects of businesses combined with the necessity to maintain accurate DNS records for these services will continue to expose enterprises to risks, including brand reputation and compromise of their own systems. These attacks are most often via dangling DNS records and are ones already experienced by most large enterprises. <\/p>\n
\nThreat actors will increasingly target third-party vendors and managed services, especially those with embedded access to customer environments. Compromising a single solution provider can provide immediate access to hundreds of downstream organizations. This \u201cone-to-many\u201d attack model, seen in recent supply chain breaches, will drive demand for implementing comprehensive Zero Trust principles, calls for tighter vendor vetting (i.e., product certifications) and extending continuous monitoring of partner activity. <\/p>\nDNS as the Foundation of Cyber Resilience<\/h3>\n
\nGovernments worldwide will increasingly mandate or strongly recommend the use of Protective DNS services as part of national cybersecurity strategies. This will be especially prevalent in sectors deemed critical infrastructure\u2014such as healthcare, energy and finance\u2014where threats can have outsized impacts. <\/p>\n
\nThough attackers will become faster and more sophisticated by using language models and deepfakes, DNS remains constant. It doesn\u2019t care about these advancements. This makes DNS security more vital than ever to protect against these evolving threats. Ensuring robust DNS security will be crucial in safeguarding digital infrastructure. <\/p>\nBalancing Security, Usability and Regulation<\/h3>\n
\nBalancing security and usability will remain a significant challenge. While robust security measures are essential, organizations should not compromise the user experience. Striking the right balance between security and usability is crucial to ensure that customers feel secure without being inconvenienced. This balance is particularly important in banking, where user trust and satisfaction are paramount. <\/p>\n
\nThe tension between security and privacy will remain a central issue in 2026. Data governance\u2014who owns data, how it\u2019s used and under what conditions\u2014will continue to evolve, with Europe leading the way through progressive legislation. Expect new laws and frameworks to emerge globally as governments grapple with the implications of AI-driven data processing. <\/p>\n