Every year, Rapid7 brings together some of the most experienced minds in cybersecurity to pause, zoom out, and take stock of where the threat landscape is heading. Last year's predictions webinar sparked lively debate among practitioners, leaders, and researchers alike, and many of those early warnings were proven accurate.
We talked about expanding attack surfaces, the acceleration of zero-day exploitation, and the shifting role of SecOps teams navigating unpredictable regulatory and operational pressure. We explored how AI was beginning to shape attacker behavior and how defenders could prepare for a world where speed and context matter more than ever. Looking back, the real takeaway was not just the predictions themselves. It was how quickly the landscape shifted around them.
This year's predictions webinar builds on that momentum. The conversation feels different now. Threat actors have adapted. Business environments have tightened. Defenders are operating with more constraints and higher expectations than at any point in recent memory. That is exactly why our experts are once again stepping up to share what they are seeing, what is keeping them curious, and what they believe security teams should be paying closer attention to as we head into 2026.
A panel shaped by diverse vantage points
One of the strengths of this session is the range of perspectives represented on the panel.
Philip Ingram, Former Senior Military Intelligence Officer at Grey Hare Media, brings a global geopolitical lens that connects cyber activity with real-world tensions and state-aligned movements. His vantage point helps translate complex geopolitical signals into practical considerations for security teams.
Raj Samani, SVP and Chief Scientist at Rapid7, offers deep insight into attacker behavior, AI-driven disruption, and the evolving threat landscape. His work tracking threat actor tradecraft and the mechanics of cybercrime economies gives him a unique perspective on how attacks scale and shift over time.
Sabeen Malik, VP of Global Government Affairs and Public Policy at Rapid7, brings a policy and regulatory perspective that is essential for understanding how global mandates and governance trends influence security operations. Her insights shed light on the intersection of cyber risk, legislative pressure, and organizational responsibility.
Together, they create a multi-dimensional picture of what is coming next. Not hype. Not speculation. Instead, grounded observations from experts who see attacker behavior unfold from very different angles.
What we learned from last year
Last year's session made one thing clear: the forces shaping cyber risk are not isolated. They are interconnected, and they are accelerating.
We saw that:
Attackers were closing the gap between vulnerability disclosure and exploitation.
Identity-based compromise continued to outpace traditional malware.
Economic and operational pressures made it harder for security teams to keep up.
Global events had tangible ripple effects on what attackers chose to target next.
Those insights helped set a realistic direction for 2025. Only twelve months later, the ground has shifted again. AI-assisted exploitation, insider-driven breaches, geopolitical instability, and expanding exposure surfaces are changing both attacker priorities and defender responsibilities.
This webinar is not a rehash. It is a recalibration, grounded in what is actually happening across the threat landscape right now.
Themes our experts will explore
While the predictions themselves will be revealed live during the session, we can share a few of the themes shaping this year's discussion.
How global tensions are redefining cyber risk for private organizations, even those far from the front lines
Why identity, behavior, and access are becoming the most reliable early indicators of compromise
Where AI is helping and hurting defenders, and how attackers are using automation and tooling to accelerate the earliest stages of intrusion
Why context and prioritization are becoming essential as vulnerability volumes and exploitation speeds continue to rise
How security teams can get ahead of exposure, not just react to it, through more integrated and risk-aware workflows
These are not abstract conversations. They reflect the real operational and strategic challenges security teams face every day.
Why you will not want to miss it
Whether you are leading a security program or defending in the trenches, this session will help you:
Understand the forces shaping attacker strategy
Identify the signals that matter most for early detectionAnticipate the operational pressures teams will face in 2026
Prioritize investments, workflows, and practices that support resilience
You will walk away with a clearer sense of where to focus, what to watch for, and how to prepare your team for what comes next, without getting lost in noise or speculation.
Join the conversation
This webinar is one of our most anticipated sessions of the year. If you have not registered yet, now is the perfect time to save your spot and hear directly from the experts shaping the conversation around what 2026 will look like for security teams everywhere.
