1) AI-driven phishing will become one of the biggest cyber threats in 2026

Phishing isn’t new. What is changing, is the speed at which it can now be produced, tested and refined.

In 2026 we expect to see:

• More convincing emails and messages, written in the tone and language people trust

• Campaigns that evolve daily, making “we’ve seen this before” far less effective

While social media channels may also start to become a target, email will continue to be the primary delivery method for these attacks due to its reach, familiarity and direct access to business workflows.

The result is simple. People will be targeted more effectively, more often, and at a far greater scale.

What to do about it: assume more messages will look legitimate. Reduce reliance on users spotting red flags and increase the controls that limit impact when something slips through.

2) Microsoft 365 account hijacking will continue to rise

For many organisations, Microsoft 365 sits at the centre of daily operations. Email, files, Teams, calendars, approvals and financial conversations.

That makes it an increasingly attractive target.

In 2026, we expect more attacks where adversaries:

• Gain access and act immediately

• Or gain access and sit quietly, learning how the business operates

By waiting for the right moment, for example during a legitimate transaction, attackers can cause far more damage with a single intervention.

What to do about it: treat identity and email security as business-critical, not just IT hygiene. Make it difficult to gain access and fast to detect if it happens.

3) Why MFA alone will not be enough in 2026

Multi-factor authentication remains essential, but it is no longer the reassurance many organisations believe it to be.

We are seeing increased use of techniques such as session or token theft, where attackers capture a valid login session and reuse it without triggering additional prompts.

As a result, 2026 will place greater emphasis on:

• Stronger identity and access policies

• Tighter conditions around where and how users can sign in

• Monitoring that highlights unusual behaviour quickly

• Clear, confident response when something isn’t right

As identity-based attacks become harder to spot, technologies that monitor for unusual behaviour and anomalies will play an increasingly important role. Platforms such as Arctic Wolf and Darktrace help organisations detect suspicious activity early and respond before damage occurs.

What to do about it: keep MFA, but build beyond it. Conditional access, session controls and active monitoring matter just as much.

4) Security drift will quietly increase business risk

Most organisations don’t become vulnerable overnight.

They become vulnerable slowly.

Temporary access is granted for travel. A policy is relaxed to solve a short-term problem. New Microsoft 365 features appear and are never enabled. Over time, these small changes accumulate.

The baseline you thought you were running no longer reflects reality.

What to do about it: treat security as something that needs ongoing ownership. Regular review and correction is just as important as initial setup.

5) Layered cyber security will matter more than perfection

No organisation is completely impenetrable. But some are significantly harder to compromise than others.

In 2026, relying on a single security layer will become increasingly risky. Stronger environments typically include:

• A dedicated email security layer, not just native filtering

• Actively managed endpoint protection

• Monitoring that detects account compromise early

• Well-maintained identity and access policies

• User awareness that encourages healthy scepticism

It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things consistently.

What to do about it: build a layered security posture that raises the cost and effort required to compromise your organisation.

What Netprotocol recommends for cyber security in 2026

For most organisations, a practical approach looks like this:

1. Establish a strong Microsoft 365 security baseline

2. Keep that baseline aligned as Microsoft and your business evolve

3. Detect account compromise quickly and respond with confidence

4. Reduce policy drift and temporary exceptions

5. Add sensible layers so you’re not reliant on a single control

How Netprotocol 365 Policy Plus helps reduce 2026 security risks

A major challenge for organisations in 2026 will be keeping security aligned as platforms and working patterns continue to change.

Netprotocol 365 Policy Plus is designed to help:

• Maintain a strong, consistent Microsoft 365 security baseline

• Highlight deviations from that baseline as they occur

• Prompt timely review and correction, rather than relying on memory

It is a practical way to reduce risk without adding unnecessary complexity.

A final thought for business leaders

Improving security doesn’t require a dramatic overhaul or an unlimited budget.

But it does require recognising that there is always more you can do to protect your organisation.

The most important step in 2026 is a simple one.
Be more secure than you are today and take action to make it happen.