Top 5 Cybersecurity Risks
Cybersecurity Risks to Consider for Your 2026 Audit Plan
Cybersecurity in 2026 is entering a new phase shaped by identity-based attacks, AI-driven threat actors, and increasingly complex digital ecosystems. Advisory insights from Big 4 accounting and consulting firms point to a consistent set of risks that every organization should expect and prepare for.
Below is a clear overview of the top cybersecurity risks expected to dominate 2026, along with practical takeaways for internal auditors, risk managers, and cybersecurity leaders.
1. Stealthy, Identity-Centric Cyberattacks
Identity has become the primary attack surface, and attackers are shifting their strategies accordingly. PwC anticipates that 2026 will see an increase in stealthy, persistent, identity-focused attacks tied to geopolitical tensions, espionage, and sophisticated hacktivist activity.
AI and machine learning now amplify the effectiveness of these attacks. Threat actors can automate phishing, generate deepfake identities, scale social engineering, and conduct credential-based intrusions more quickly than traditional defenses can respond.
Organizations that rely on large identity infrastructures, such as cloud access, service accounts, and machine identities, face growing complexity. Without modern identity governance, silent compromise becomes easier.
Why this matters: Traditional perimeter defenses are ineffective when attacks target identity, persistence, and lateral movement.
2. Rapidly Evolving Ransomware and Extortion Threats
Ransomware in 2026 goes far beyond encryption. Deloitte highlights the rise of multi-stage extortion models that combine data theft, leak threats, reputational pressure, and coordinated extortion campaigns.
As organizations operate across cloud, hybrid, and legacy environments, attackers exploit configuration weaknesses and outdated controls to move undetected across systems.
Why this matters: Ransomware can disrupt operations, undermine data integrity, and trigger regulatory or reputational fallout, especially for organizations with compliance obligations.
3. Third-Party and Supply-Chain Risk
Modern organizations depend on an ever-expanding ecosystem of cloud services, SaaS platforms, managed service providers, and external developers. Deloitte emphasizes that these interdependencies create new exposure points that attackers can exploit.
For regulated entities, a vendor breach can weaken cybersecurity controls, financial reporting safeguards, and compliance requirements.
Why this matters: Even strong internal defenses cannot compensate for weaknesses in a critical vendor or external service provider.
4. Weak Governance and C-Suite Misalignment
Cyber risk becomes a business risk only when leadership treats it that way. EY’s research shows an ongoing disconnect between CISOs and the rest of the C-suite regarding the likelihood and impact of cyber incidents.
This misalignment often leads to underinvestment, fragmented strategies, and reactive cybersecurity decisions. When cybersecurity is not integrated into business planning, organizations struggle to maintain resilience or meet compliance expectations.
Why this matters: Without executive alignment, cybersecurity remains an IT problem instead of a core enterprise risk.
5. Governance and Control Challenges from Digital Transformation
Digital transformation continues to accelerate faster than governance frameworks can adapt. Deloitte’s findings highlight that cloud adoption, AI implementation, automation, and modern tech stacks are outpacing traditional IT general controls.
Common problem areas include unmanaged shadow IT, identity sprawl, cloud misconfigurations, weak change management, and audit gaps in AI-enabled systems.
For regulated organizations, gaps in technology governance can directly lead to audit findings, compliance failures, and financial reporting risks.
Why this matters: When technology evolves faster than control frameworks, organizations face expanding and often invisible exposure.
Key Takeaways for Risk, Audit, and Cyber Leaders
To prepare for the cybersecurity challenges of 2026, organizations should prioritize the following:
Elevate identity governance for both human and machine identities to a board-level priority.
Strengthen ransomware resilience by planning for data theft, extortion tactics, and reputational threats, not just encryption events.
Treat third-party risk as a core enterprise risk with structured oversight and continuous monitoring.
Integrate cybersecurity governance into strategic planning and ensure alignment across CISOs, CFOs, and executive leadership.
Redesign and modernize internal control frameworks to accommodate cloud, AI, and hybrid infrastructure before legacy controls fail.
If you are preparing your 2026 audit plan and need to learn more about cybersecurity risk and controls, check out the CyberControl System on InsightCPE.com.
Sources
· PwC. 2026 Cybersecurity Outlook.
https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/cybersecurity-risk-regulatory/library/2026-cybersecurity-outlook.html
· PwC. Global Digital Trust Insights 2025.
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-2025-global-digital-trust-insights.html
· Deloitte. Cybersecurity Threat Trends Report.
https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/services/consulting/articles/cybersecurity-trends-report.html
· Deloitte. Cybersecurity Report 2025.
https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/services/consulting/articles/cybersecurity-report-2025.html
· Deloitte. Hot Topics for Technology & Digital Internal Audit (2025–26).
https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/consulting-risk/perspectives/hot-topics-for-technology-and-digital-internal-audit.html
· EY. Cybersecurity: The C-suite Disconnect Report.
https://www.ey.com/en_us/ciso/cybersecurity-study-c-suite-disconnect
· Aage R. Møller, Janet K. Kern, Bruce Grannemann. Human–Machine Identity Risks Research (Academic Reference).
https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.18255
