Identity, edge, trust: 3 vectors behind 1H 2026 ransomware

Ransomware operators favor abused trust over novel exploits, with stolen credentials, compromised identities, and hijacked remote-support tools driving most intrusions. As AI accelerates social engineering and attacker tools, organizations face a growing gap between adversary speed and traditional defenses, making legacy security plans obsolete.

This research analyzes 2026 incident data, showing how attackers exploit identity theft, edge-device compromise, and trusted software. Key findings include:

• Identity-driven access surpassing CVE exploitation
• Credential-driven SSL-VPN intrusions
• Weaponized remote-support tools and signed binaries

Review the full report for details.