February 16, 2026
Cybercrime is no longer opportunistic — it is industrialised, automated, and increasingly powered by artificial intelligence.
In Episode 50 of ChatDPS, Nick and Robert explore how AI-driven cyber threats are reshaping the risk environment for organisations of all sizes. From autonomous ransomware to advanced phishing tactics, the conversation makes one thing clear: businesses cannot rely on yesterday’s controls to defend against tomorrow’s threats.
Cybercriminals are adopting AI systems to scale and streamline their operations. Attacks are becoming faster, more targeted, and harder to detect. Ransomware continues to evolve. Phishing emails are more convincing. Social engineering is more personalised. AI has lowered the cost of launching sophisticated attacks — and raised the bar for defending against them.
Professional services firms, including accountants and advisors, are particularly exposed. They hold highly sensitive client information and often operate within complex digital ecosystems. That combination makes them attractive targets. It is often far easier for attackers to extract hundreds of thousands of dollars from a smaller organisation than to penetrate a heavily fortified enterprise.
Several critical trends are shaping the 2026 threat landscape.
Shadow AI is emerging as a significant governance risk. Employees are increasingly using AI tools without oversight. While this may improve productivity, it can also introduce data leakage, privacy breaches, and regulatory exposure if not properly governed.
At the same time, impersonation and phishing tactics are becoming more advanced. Voice cloning, deepfake video, and highly contextual email fraud are making scams more believable. Payment redirection attacks are no longer clumsy — they are precise, timed, and convincing.
The speed of threat evolution is another concern. Cybercriminals adapt quickly, while many organisations are constrained by slow internal processes and bureaucratic approval cycles. Governance and risk frameworks must become more agile if they are to remain effective.
Despite all the technological advancement, most breaches still originate from human error. An employee clicks a malicious link. A finance team member responds to an urgent payment request. A well-meaning staff member uploads sensitive data into an unapproved AI platform.
This is why staff awareness remains critical. But awareness alone is not enough. Organisations must examine their processes. Are there clear verification procedures before funds are transferred? Are unusual requests independently confirmed? Are employees supported by technology that can detect abnormal behaviour in real time?
Security is not just an IT function. It is an organisational discipline that requires governance, oversight, and accountability.
AI also plays a dual role in this landscape. While it empowers attackers, it can equally strengthen defence. Modern security solutions now use behavioural analytics and anomaly detection to identify suspicious activity that does not fit established patterns. Rather than relying solely on known threat signatures, these tools assess what is “normal” for an organisation and flag deviations.
This shift from reactive security to adaptive, intelligence-driven defence is becoming essential.
Small and medium enterprises often underestimate their exposure, assuming they are unlikely targets. In reality, they are frequently viewed as soft targets — holding valuable data but lacking enterprise-grade security maturity. The financial, legal, and reputational consequences of a breach can be severe, and regulatory scrutiny is increasing. Directors and executives are expected to demonstrate that reasonable, proportionate steps have been taken to manage cyber risk.
Cybersecurity in 2026 is no longer just about technology. It is about governance, culture, accountability, and preparedness.
Organisations that focus on fundamentals — strong governance frameworks, workforce upskilling, modernised systems, tested incident response plans, and proportionate controls — will be far better positioned to navigate the evolving threat landscape.
The fundamentals have not changed. The speed, scale, and consequences of getting them wrong have.
.svg)