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AI-driven security reshapes 2026 strategies with zero-trust and identity-first approaches

Thursday, 4 December 2025 5:38AM UTC

Security experts warn that advances in AI, quantum computing, and automation will redefine digital trust by 2026, urging organisations to adopt zero-trust architectures and rigorous identity management to counter emergent threats from non-human agents and AI-powered attacks.

Security teams are revising how they adopt technology for 2026 as advances in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, automation and new work patterns converge to reshape digital trust and resilience. According to the original report in Security Brief, defenders face a landscape where AI strengthens both defences and adversaries, shortening reaction times and multiplying points of failure. ^[1]^[2]

"These 'AI-powered' threats highlight the importance of identity and access management within AI environments. Implementing least-privileged access, continuous session monitoring and role-based permissions ensures that only authorised users - human or machine - can interact with sensitive datasets and training models. In 2026, success will belong to those who treat AI security not as an afterthought but as a prerequisite for innovation," said Takanori Nishiyama, SVP APAC and Japan Country Manager, Keeper Security, speaking to Security Brief. That assessment underlines a shift from perimeter-first thinking to identity-first controls. ^[1]

Industry voices are urging organisations to prioritise zero-trust architectures as the baseline model for security. The approach , where every access request is verified, privileges are temporary and no device or identity is trusted by default , is described in the lead coverage as essential for environments with heavy machine-to-machine interactions and autonomous systems. Microsoft and other major vendors have codified similar principles in their secure-by-design guidance, reinforcing that early threat modelling and continuous monitoring are central to resilient deployments. ^[1]^[2]^[4]^[5]

The rapid growth of non-human identities (NHIs) , bots, service accounts and AI agents , presents a new attack surface unless machine identities are governed like humans. "Applying zero-trust and least-privilege principles to machine identities must be considered essential. Every Non-Human Identity (NHI) should be uniquely identifiable, auditable and subject to the same access policies as human users," Nishiyama told Security Brief. Academic and standards work also recommends decentralised, verifiable agent identities and fine-grained controls to manage agentic systems at scale. ^[1]^[2]^[6]

Predictions that AI agents will soon outnumber people online amplify the oversight challenge. "2026 will be the year that AI agents outnumber people. By the end of the year expect to see at least one agent per connected person. In 3 years, it will be up to 10 AI agents per connected person," Prakash Mana, CEO of Cloudbrink, said to Security Brief, warning that many agent developers prioritise efficiency over security and urging organisations to create visibility and enforce AI policies now. Industry forecasts from security vendors similarly warn of AI-driven identity attacks and agent-originated insider threats. ^[1]^[7]

Secure-by-design development and cryptographic agility are presented as practical mitigations. The Security Brief coverage stresses embedding MFA, comprehensive logging and identity controls from project inception to reduce reactive fixes; researchers and demonstrators of post-quantum cryptography integrated with zero-trust models show how lattice-based and other PQC primitives can protect AI model access today. Preparing for a "store-now, decrypt-later" threat requires organisations to adopt quantum-resistant encryption and design for rapid algorithm migration. ^[1]^[3]^[4]

Changing work patterns compound the challenge. Data in the lead report suggests "work from anywhere" is evolving into "work anytime", with hybrid employees blending office and off-hours access and using an expanding set of connected devices , from wearables to personal robots , that stress network and identity controls. Security and HR leaders are advised to balance productivity with worker experience to avoid burnout while maintaining strong, continuous verification. ^[1]^[2]

Infrastructure and operational planning must keep pace with AI’s demands. As enterprises deploy more agentic and model-driven applications, network throughput, GPU sharing and distributed inference will need architecting into IT roadmaps; otherwise, performance bottlenecks will blunt user experience and create risky ad-hoc workarounds. The report argues cybersecurity should not lag transformation cycles but instead help define them. ^[1]

Taken together, the evidence points to a layered strategy for 2026: embed zero trust and PAM to govern human and non-human identities, build secure-by-design software with cryptographic agility, increase visibility into AI agent behaviour, and align infrastructure planning with the scale of AI adoption. According to the original report and supporting industry guidance, enterprises that adopt these measures will strengthen both resilience and reputation as adversaries increasingly harness the same technologies they use. ^[1]^[4]^[7]

📌 Reference Map:

Reference Map:

^[1] (Security Brief) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8, Paragraph 9
^[2] (SecurityBrief.asia) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
^[3] (arXiv) - Paragraph 6
^[4] (Microsoft Security Blog) - Paragraph 3, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 9
^[5] (AisTechnolabs) - Paragraph 3
^[6] (arXiv) - Paragraph 4
^[7] (Palo Alto Networks) - Paragraph 5, Paragraph 9

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://securitybrief.com.au/story/ai-zero-trust-new-work-patterns-set-2026-security-agenda - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://securitybrief.asia/story/ai-zero-trust-new-work-patterns-set-2026-security-agenda - This article discusses the evolving cybersecurity landscape in 2026, highlighting the dual role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both enhancing and challenging security measures. It emphasizes the necessity for organizations to adopt zero-trust security models, which verify every access request and restrict privileges, treating no device or identity as trusted by default. The piece also addresses the rise of non-human identities, such as AI agents and bots, and the importance of applying zero-trust and least-privilege principles to these entities to prevent security vulnerabilities. Additionally, it underscores the significance of secure-by-design software development and the need for quantum-resistant encryption to prepare for future threats.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.21768 - This academic paper presents a novel integration of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and zero-trust architecture (ZTA) to secure AI model access. Grounded in category theory, the framework models cryptographic workflows and trust policies, enabling fine-grained, adaptive trust and micro-segmentation for lattice-based PQC primitives. The authors demonstrate its efficacy through an ESP32-based implementation, achieving significant memory efficiency and successfully rejecting unauthorized access attempts with sub-millisecond average latency, thereby offering enhanced protection against adversarial AI threats.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/05/15/how-the-microsoft-secure-future-initiative-brings-zero-trust-to-life/ - Microsoft's blog post outlines the Secure Future Initiative, which embeds three foundational principles into cybersecurity: secure by design, secure by default, and secure operations. The article emphasizes incorporating threat modeling and risk assessments early in planning, enabling guardrails and policies out of the box, and continuously monitoring and testing defenses as cyber threats evolve. It also highlights key customer takeaways from the April 2025 progress report, demonstrating how organizations can improve their security posture by applying the Zero Trust framework and principles.
https://www.aistechnolabs.com/blog/zero-trust-architecture-cybersecurity-2025-updates - This guide provides an overview of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) in cybersecurity, detailing its pillars such as identity and access management, device security, network security, application workload security, and data protection. It discusses the future of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), predicting that by 2026, approximately 60% of organizations will stop using VPNs in favor of ZTNA solutions. The article also highlights the integration of artificial intelligence in ZTNA, emphasizing behavior-based detection, continuous monitoring, and real-time risk assessments, along with the adoption of quantum-resilient encryption and decentralized identity management.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.19301 - This paper introduces a comprehensive framework for securing agentic AI through decentralized authentication and fine-grained access control. It critiques traditional Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems for their inadequacy in handling the dynamic and interdependent nature of AI agents within Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). The proposed framework utilizes rich, verifiable Agent Identities, Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to encapsulate an agent's capabilities, provenance, and security posture. It includes an Agent Naming Service (ANS) for secure discovery, dynamic access control mechanisms, and a unified global session management layer for real-time control and policy enforcement across heterogeneous agent communication protocols.
https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/press/2025/palo-alto-networks-forecasts-6-predictions-on-securing-the-new-ai-economy-for-2026 - Palo Alto Networks forecasts six predictions for the AI economy in 2026, emphasizing the transformative impact of autonomous AI agents on enterprise operations. The predictions include the emergence of AI-driven identity attacks, the rise of AI agents as insider threats, the need for executive accountability in AI risk management, the imperative of quantum-resistant encryption, and the evolution of the browser as a novel workspace. The article underscores the necessity for organizations to adapt their cybersecurity strategies to address these evolving challenges in the AI-driven landscape.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative appears to be original, with no evidence of prior publication. The earliest known publication date is December 4, 2025. The content is not republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. The narrative is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. No similar content has appeared more than 7 days earlier. The article includes updated data but does not recycle older material.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: All direct quotes are unique to this narrative, with no identical quotes appearing in earlier material. No variations in quote wording were found. No online matches were found for these quotes, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative originates from Security Brief, a reputable organisation. However, the article includes quotes from individuals and organisations that cannot be verified online, such as Prakash Mana, CEO of Cloudbrink, and Takanori Nishiyama, SVP APAC and Japan Country Manager at Keeper Security. The lack of verifiable online presence for these entities raises concerns about their authenticity.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative makes plausible claims about the impact of AI on cybersecurity and the importance of zero-trust architectures. These claims are consistent with current industry trends and are covered by other reputable outlets. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for a corporate or official context.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: While the narrative appears to be original and includes plausible claims, the inclusion of unverifiable entities raises concerns about its overall credibility. Further verification of the individuals and organisations mentioned is recommended to assess the reliability of the information presented.

cybersecurity
AI
zero-trust