Cybersecurity in 2026: Why identity, AI, and trust will define the next era of resilience

Cybersecurity in 2026 has entered a defining phase. The way we think about trust, identity, and resilience has fundamentally changed. Across the MENA region, enterprises and governments are standing at a turning point. Digital transformation is accelerating. AI adoption is becoming mainstream. Data is now viewed as a national asset. And adversaries are evolving even faster.

Today, the question for leaders is no longer if they will be targeted, but how ready they are when it happens and how fast they can respond and recover from an incident.

Identity security in an era of deepfakes and machine identities 

One of the clearest shifts we’re seeing is the rise of identity centric attacks. Attackers aren’t breaking in—they’re logging in. Stolen credentials, MFA fatigue, and social engineering dominate modern intrusions, making identity compromise the number one attack vector globally.

Identity security is undergoing a major reinvention. Deepfakes, MFA fatigue, and AI-driven impersonation are pushing traditional authentication to its limit.

The future lies in phishing-resistant authentication, Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), and AI-driven behavioral analytics that detect unusual activity instantly.
Machine identities already outnumber human ones, creating blind spots attackers can exploit. Automated discovery and governance of all identities—human and non human—will be essential. And as cyber and physical security converge, organizations will gain new ways to detect anomalies across both domains.

Agentic AI is changing the game

Agentic AI is becoming one of the most transformative forces in cybersecurity. We’re moving from reactive tools that spot known patterns to autonomous systems that learn, decide, and act in real time.

Threat actors are already using generative AI to scale their attacks—mimicking human behavior, automating reconnaissance, and bypassing traditional defenses. Defenders need the same level of automation to keep pace.

At CPX, we see agentic AI as a core pillar of cyber resilience. It allows us to embed “security by design” early in development so systems aren’t vulnerable by default. And in a region where digital sovereignty and national resilience matter more than ever, autonomous defense capabilities will be critical to protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining trust.

The AI-powered SOC: Automation with human oversight

Security Operations Centers (SOCs) have never been under more pressure. Attacks unfold faster. Alerts are increasing. Environments are more complex.

Today, the AI-powered SOC is helping address these challenges. AI-enhanced detection pulls out early signals that humans would miss. It filters noise, boosts accuracy, and frees analysts to focus on higher-value activities, such as threat hunting, incident response, and strategic decision-making.

But full automation still carries risk. A false positive triggering an incorrect automated response can disrupt operations just as much as an attack. That’s why the near future lies in semi-autonomous SOCs, where AI handles repetitive tasks but humans stay in control of decisions. Strong governance and well-defined rules for AI use will be essential.

Sovereign cloud and zero trust are no more optional

Data sovereignty laws are reshaping cloud security across the region. Organizations must now ensure their data stays under national legislative control. That means Zero Trust must be baked directly into cloud architectures, not added later.
Industrial and IIoT environments face even sharper challenges. They require security models built for industrial realities—not repurposed IT tools.

Sovereign cloud will anchor national data strategies. Legacy, perimeter-based architectures simply won’t survive in a machine speed threat landscape.

Cybersecurity: From cost center to business enabler

With budgets under pressure, CISOs must show that cybersecurity is not a cost but a business enabler. That means translating risk into clear business terms and focusing on measurable outcomes rather than tool accumulation.
Automation in areas like Identity and Access Management (IAM) and password self-service can reduce operational costs while improving user experience.

When security investments align with enterprise KPIs and support operational continuity, cybersecurity becomes a catalyst for innovation, not a constraint.

A future-ready security team blends technical depth with sound judgment, business acumen, and strong communication. Supported by AI automation, these teams focus on what matters most: reducing risk and keeping the organization running.

Organizations must return to the fundamentals, strengthen public–private collaboration, and build trust into every layer—across people, processes, and technology.

In 2026, cybersecurity is no longer a background function. It is a core pillar of resilience, trust, and business continuity. Organizations that recognize this—and act on it—will be the ones that remain secure, resilient, and competitive.