Cybersecurity Predictions That Came True in the First Half of 2026
SC Media, Friday, October 9th, 2026
AI gave attackers a speed advantage, identity eclipsed malware and AI infrastructure itself became an attack surface in early 2026.
In this SC Media Perspectives column, the author finds most predictions for 2026 came true, some faster than expected, with the biggest change being their convergence: AI helps attackers move faster, identities matter more than malware, and trusted tools and platforms are becoming attack paths.
The Copy Fail Linux kernel flaw spawned more than 140 public exploit variants within weeks, many AI-assisted, while Project Glasswing using Claude Mythos reported over 10,000 high and critical findings.
Most surprising, AI infrastructure such as MCP servers and LLM gateways has itself become an attack surface.