ZeroFox 2026 Cyber Threat Predictions: AI Integration and Initial Access Brokers Rise

ZeroFox Intelligence released its 2026 cyber threat predictions on December 16, 2025, highlighting generative AI’s full integration into attacks, geopolitical influences on cybercrime, and persistent ransomware trends based on 2025 data.

Details of the Predictions

ZeroFox forecasts generative AI moving from experimental to core attacker tooling in 2026, enabling hyper-realistic phishing, malware generation, and reconnaissance at scale. Initial access brokers (IABs) will professionalize further, with automated marketplaces offering specialized access (e.g., RDP, VPN, cloud). Ransomware-as-a-service remains dominant, while social engineering evolves with AI deepfakes and personalized lures. Geopolitical conflicts will increasingly spill into cyber operations, blending state and criminal actors.

Impact and Recommendations

• Speeds up targeted attacks and malware creation
• Enables easier initial access for ransomware and espionage via IABs
• Increases risks from deepfake voice/video and geopolitical motives
• Deploy phishing-resistant MFA and AI detection tools
• Monitor dark web for IAB listings and exposed credentials
• Train employees on deepfake recognition and AI phishing tactics

Initial Access Brokers (IABs) are very likely to remain key enablers of the global cybercrime space in 2026 by providing unauthorized network access at scale.

ZeroFox Intelligence Team

Source and full details:

Read the public ZeroFox 2026 cyber threat predictions blog here:

https://www.zerofox.com/blog/2026-cyber-threat-predictions