Many cybersecurity strategies still have blind spots today, such as the lack of a governance framework and visibility of data and risks. This cannot be the case in 2026. Therefore, cybersecurity is evolving in the coming year from a technical concern to a strategic priority for the integrity of the business. Here are four predictions from John Swanson, Global Security Portfolio Lead, Uvance at Fujitsu.
The top management understands the importance of AI governance
Due to the rapid evolution of GenAI and Agentic AI, a flood of vulnerabilities is emerging that companies need to address. Both regulators and investors expect organizations to take responsibility. Therefore, in 2026, AI Governance-as-a-Service solutions and integrated compliance platforms will emerge that both enforce policies and monitor model behavior. They manage risks such as data breaches, prompt injection attacks, and Agentic AI systems with excessive access privileges.
Cyber attackers are also using Agentic AI to compromise networks. They do this by injecting prompts through unexpected sources such as SIEM logs, DNS records, and other infrastructure data that AI agents automatically process. This makes cybersecurity so urgent that the importance of governance is penetrating the boardroom more than ever. Moreover, new laws, such as the EU AI Act, demand attention to explainability, auditability, and ethical AI use. Those who lay a strong foundation now will gain a significant advantage over the competition.
Data sovereignty leads to a different cloud strategy
The geopolitical tensions call for more transparency, so organizations know where their data is stored and who has access. Many companies do not know this. The fear of losing critical data also impacts the cloud strategy in 2026. Organizations prioritize cloud and service providers that guarantee clarity and resilience against political interference. They also focus on multiple clouds to spread risks. Critical workloads will return to an on-premises environment if the importance of sovereignty outweighs the flexibility of the cloud.
In short, vendors need to respond to this. In 2026, the above factors will be as important as technical capabilities and cost efficiency.
Continuous risk management replaces periodic checks
Periodic assessments of vulnerabilities will be replaced by continuous risk management in 2026. For this, organizations rely on platforms that provide visibility and automatically assess risks based on business context and threat intelligence. They generate dynamic risk scores that reflect how exposed the organization is. Instead of only working with static reports, these platforms also track how risks evolve as systems change, patches are applied, and new threats emerge.
Security teams can thus prevent fires instead of having to extinguish them. Thanks to the clear metrics provided by the platforms, they can easily share that information with top management. This way, the board also sees that investments in cybersecurity pay off to protect the business. It ensures that security evolves from a cost center to a valuable asset with measurable returns.
Read also: Dutch security researcher ranks number one worldwide on Microsoft's Security Leaderboard
IT and OT security merge
Organizations are beginning to realize that cyber threats do not recognize the boundary between IT and OT. Therefore, operators need to align their OT security more with IT standards. This improves visibility and governance in both domains. This is even more important now that attackers are being supported by governments to target critical infrastructure. More and more attacks will also hit secondary targets and 'innocent' victims who are not in the conflict zone.
In 2026, organizations will implement platforms that provide a unified view of security risks across IT and OT environments. The systems apply policies consistently and also take into account the unique characteristics of operational environments. Compliance efforts will also be made to mandate the integration of IT/OT security. Standards such as NIS2 are becoming increasingly important for operators.
Conclusion? Cybersecurity will become somewhat more challenging in the coming year, but organizations also have more opportunities to protect themselves thanks to a proactive rather than reactive approach. Those who succeed in combining advanced AI capabilities with good governance anchored in transparency and accountability will be best positioned to secure business assets and ensure the trust of all stakeholders.
Read also: Fujitsu: In 2026 we will integrate systems that think, learn, and lead
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu's mission is to make the world more sustainable by strengthening trust in society through innovation. As a leading partner for digital transformation, our 113,000 employees worldwide support customers in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.
Our portfolio of services and solutions is based on five core technologies: AI, Computing, Networking, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we combine to enable sustainable transformation.
Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenue of 3.6 trillion yen (23 billion US dollars) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, and remains the largest digital services company in Japan based on market share. More information: global.fujitsu
Read also: OneXillium fully consolidates with subsidiary RedTeam Cyber Security
