Threat actors stories
Corporate users can be compromised in under five minutes when attackers pose as help-desk staff in external Microsoft Teams chats, researchers say.
Verified customer reviews have lifted the security vendor's MetaDefender Managed File Transfer into G2's Spring 2026 Leader tier.
AI is now being used to write exploits and malware, with Google saying it has traced the first zero-day linked to machine assistance.
AI systems and social engineering tests proved especially risky, as CyberCX found severe weaknesses in half and 77% of cases respectively.
A smaller band of operators is driving most incidents, leaving companies facing fewer but more organised ransomware gangs.
Security teams face a broader threat as criminals and state-backed actors use generative AI to speed hacks, phishing and malware.
The ranking highlights growing demand for intelligence that can guide detection and response inside security tools, rather than stand-alone reports.
Broader attacker activity is increasingly moving beyond stolen credentials, even as identity still accounted for 58.7% of incidents in Q1 2026.
Threats are spreading beyond inboxes as phishing shifts into Teams, calendars and other collaboration tools, raising the risk for hybrid workers.
Ransomware activity stayed elevated in March, with NCC Group saying Qilin alone was linked to 136 attacks and drove a 43% monthly rise.
Security teams can now validate scanner findings in minutes as Intruder rolls out AI agents to cut false positives and speed remediation.
Many firms cannot see where their AI agents are, leaving identity, policy and supply-chain risks to grow as deployments scale.
Businesses face rising exposure as AI is used to sharpen phishing, while insecure in-house tools and weak controls widen attack surfaces.
Leak-site noise is making it harder for firms to tell real breaches from extortion theatre, as active sites hit 91 in the first quarter of 2026.
Attackers could soon exploit software flaws faster and at scale, as security firms say AI is narrowing defenders' response time.
Illicit discussions of AI tools surged 1,500% in late 2025 as attackers used them to speed up vulnerability hunting and exploitation.
Attackers are now moving fast enough that patching delays, standing privilege and inherited trust leave organisations exposed within minutes.
Defenders face faster, harder-to-stop attacks as SANS says AI is now built into phishing, malware and reconnaissance at scale.
More firms are turning identity security budgets to attack path tools as hybrid and AI-heavy environments expose gaps in remediation.
Companies seeking Cyber Essentials certification must now use multi-factor authentication and managed devices, as remote working rules tighten.
