The Identity Security Reckoning: 2025 Lessons, 2026 Predictions
Get ahead of 2026 identity threats with insights from SpyCloud’s cybercrime and identity intelligence experts
Drawing from SpyCloud’s unique vantage point monitoring the criminal underground, our latest forecast report analyzes the major trends that defined 2025’s threat landscape and predicts the top challenges security teams will face in 2026.
This comprehensive analysis reveals how the industrialization of cybercrime is making sophisticated identity attacks more pervasive than ever before, and shares insight from SpyCloud subject matter experts that will influence defensive postures in 2026.
Identity security trends you can read about inside this report:
The industrialization of cybercrime
How plug-and-play attack tools and cybercrime-as-a-service offerings are lowering barriers to entry for cybercriminals
Evolving threat actor communities
The migration from dark web forums to mainstream platforms and the rising involvement of younger demographics in cybercrime
Non-human identity (NHI) risks
The growing exposure of API keys, OAuth tokens, and service accounts as new attack vectors
Insider threat evolution
From compromised employees to fraudulent remote workers, how insider threats are becoming mainstream security concerns
AI-powered cybercrime
Realistic predictions for how artificial intelligence will enhance phishing, social engineering, and other identity-based attacks
Defense bypass innovation
How attackers continue to outsmart MFA and other defense mechanisms to launch attacks
Supply chain threats
The multiplying pathways to compromise through third-party partners and vendor networks
About our research
This forecast leverages SpyCloud’s continuous monitoring of the criminal underground, analysis of billions of identity records, and seasoned observations from our security research team. Our predictions are grounded in real-world identity intelligence gathered from dark web forums, data breaches, malware infections, and phishing campaigns observed throughout 2025.
SpyCloud’s identity threat protection platform is built to help organizations proactively identify and remediate identity exposures before they can be weaponized by cybercriminals. This report distills our researchers’ expertise into actionable intelligence for security leaders preparing their defenses for the year ahead.
You can continue reading about the recent threat landscape in our 2025 Identity Threat Report, and then check your exposure to help identify any current threats your business may be facing from malware infections, phishing, and breaches.
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