Cybersecurity in Businesses in 2026: The Human Factor Is Key

Cybersecurity in companies is no longer an issue exclusive to the IT department. In 2026, 94% of successful cybersecurity incidents involve human behavior, according to Google Cloud’s Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 report. This means that the true defense perimeter of any organization is not technological: it is the people who make it up.

In this article, we analyze the current state of corporate cybersecurity, the fastest-growing threats this year—many of them enhanced by artificial intelligence—and why continuous training of teams has become the most cost-effective security investment an organization can make.

The state of corporate cybersecurity in 2026

In January 2026, Google Cloud published its Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 report, developed using Mandiant’s threat intelligence and Google’s global visibility. The conclusions are clear: while artificial intelligence is democratizing offensive capabilities, the human factor remains the most critical link.

Globally, in the first quarter of 2025, 2,302 victims were listed on data leak sites — the highest quarterly figure since these records began in 2020. Supply chain attacks in the retail and food sectors caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in 2025 alone.

In Latin America, the outlook is particularly concerning. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the OAS warn of a cybersecurity talent shortage that will exceed half a million professionals by 2026. According to Kaspersky’s 2024–2025 report, 48% of companies in LATAM acknowledge that they do not have enough qualified personnel.

The human factor: why 94% of incidents start with a person

When we talk about the human factor in cybersecurity, we are not talking about negligence or lack of intelligence. We are talking about decisions made in fractions of a second, under pressure or without the necessary context to identify a sophisticated threat.

The most common scenarios are: an employee opens a link in an apparently legitimate email from a supplier; receives a call from someone who sounds exactly like their CEO and asks for access credentials; installs an AI agent to automate their work without realizing that the agent has access to sensitive company data.

None of these incidents require a technical failure. All of them require a person to make the wrong decision. And in 2026, attackers are using artificial intelligence to make that decision increasingly difficult to avoid.

“Organizations must be prepared for threats and adversaries that leverage artificial intelligence,” warned Jon Ramsey, VP & GM of Google Cloud Security, in the Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 report.

The 4 fastest-growing cybersecurity threats in 2026

Google Cloud’s report identifies a qualitative shift compared to previous years: artificial intelligence is not only increasing the volume of attacks, but also their sophistication. These are the four most relevant threats for companies this year.

1. AI-powered social engineering and vishing

Actors such as ShinyHunters —specialized in data theft and digital extortion— are accelerating the use of AI-driven social engineering. Their success in 2025 was based on avoiding technical exploits and directly targeting human vulnerabilities. Vishing (voice phishing) now incorporates AI voice cloning, capable of replicating the tone, accent, and speech patterns of company executives. An employee may receive a call that sounds exactly like their CFO requesting an urgent transfer.

2. Prompt Injection

As companies adopt internal AI systems, a new category of attack is emerging: prompt injection. These attacks manipulate corporate AI systems to bypass their security protocols and execute hidden attacker commands. They do not require physical access to systems: they are introduced through the very data that the AI system processes.

3. Shadow Agents: when innovation becomes a risk

In 2026, Google Cloud predicts that the proliferation of autonomous AI agents will escalate the “Shadow AI” problem to a critical level. Employees are independently adopting these agents to automate tasks, without corporate approval. The result is invisible and uncontrolled channels for sensitive data, which can lead to data leaks, compliance violations, and intellectual property theft. Banning these agents does not work either: it simply pushes their use outside the corporate network, eliminating any visibility.

4. Ransomware and digital extortion

Ransomware is not a new threat, but it continues to grow. Google Cloud is explicit in its forecast: “We expect to see more ransomware and extortion attacks. This problem will continue and increase in 2026.” Retail and food supply chain sectors were particularly affected in 2025, with damages reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.

How to build a cybersecurity training strategy for your company

In response to this landscape, Google Cloud is clear in its recommendation: organizations must implement processes with multiple checks and balances to defend against AI-powered social engineering tactics. But none of this works without people trained to recognize threats and respond appropriately.

Cybersecurity training can no longer be a once-a-year generic awareness program. It needs to be a continuous, strategic, and measurable process. That is why isEazy and S2GRUPO —a leading European cybersecurity firm— have jointly developed the isEazy Cybersecurity School, a training model designed to transform digital culture and reduce human risk within organizations. Learn more about this collaboration →

The model operates across three interconnected layers:

1. Awareness: building a security culture

The first level focuses on raising awareness among all employees about real risks. It is not about creating fear, but about building awareness through storytelling based on real cases, recognizable workplace situations, and an emotional connection to risk. The goal is for every individual to understand that they can be a target of an attack and that their behavior matters.

2. Upskilling: role-based competencies

The second level develops specific skills tailored to each profile: general users, middle management, IT/OT staff, compliance and legal teams, and senior leadership. A CFO requires different training than a SOC analyst. Role-based learning paths include competency objectives, practical assessments, and progress tracking.

3. Specialization: technical depth for IT

The third level is aimed at IT professionals and cybersecurity specialists. It includes advanced courses, hands-on labs, and training on the latest attack and defense tactics. This is the level that closes the technical talent gap identified as critical in Latin America by the IDB and the OAS.

Checklist: is your company prepared for the cybersecurity threats of 2026?

Before designing or reviewing your cybersecurity strategy, answer these questions. If most of your answers are “no” or “I don’t know,” you have work to do:

• Have all employees received cybersecurity training in the last 6 months?
• Is the training adapted by role (users, managers, IT, leadership)?
• Is there a clear protocol to verify identities in urgent calls or emails?
• Do employees know what to do if they receive a suspicious request from a supposed executive?
• Is there an approval process for adopting external AI tools?
• Are phishing simulations conducted regularly to measure real response?
• Is there a fast channel to report incidents or suspicions without fear of retaliation?
• Has senior leadership received specific training on vishing and CEO fraud?
• Are human factor security metrics measured (simulated phishing click rate, reports, etc.)?
• Is cybersecurity training integrated into the onboarding of new employees?

How to train your professionals to detect, prevent, and stop new digital threats

With all this data, we can reach one conclusion: cybersecurity no longer depends only on technology, but on the people who use it every day. The isEazy and S2GRUPO ebook will help you understand how to actively engage your talent in the digital defense of your organization. Discover how HR and Learning can lead the cultural shift in security, with an approach that is scalable, practical, and aligned with the real challenges of the corporate environment.

Conclusion: turn your team into the first line of defense

The Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 report by Google Cloud makes the situation clear: threats will continue to grow, AI will make them more sophisticated, and the most exploited link will continue to be the human one. But it also highlights something that is often overlooked: the human factor is the only one organizations truly have control over.

Security technology is necessary but not sufficient. Firewalls do not stop an employee from voluntarily giving away their credentials because they believe they are speaking with their boss. Training can.

In an environment where 94% of incidents involve human behavior, where half a million cybersecurity professionals are lacking in Latin America, and where AI is democratizing offensive capabilities, training is not a cost: it is the most cost-effective security investment your organization can make.

Ready to take the next step? Discover the isEazy Cybersecurity School and explore the full cybersecurity course catalog →