CrowdStrike 2026 Global Threat Report: The Evasive Adversary Wields AI

In 2025, the cyber threat landscape evolved significantly, with adversaries increasingly leveraging AI-enabled techniques to bypass traditional security measures. The CrowdStrike 2026 Global Threat Report highlights that adversaries are now focusing on exploiting trusted access paths, AI systems, and supply chain vulnerabilities to evade detection and gain unauthorized access. Notably, there was a 65% increase in the speed of eCrime breakout times and an 89% rise in attacks by AI-enabled adversaries, with 82% of these detections being malware-free. The report also observes a marked increase in zero-day exploits, cloud-conscious intrusions, and social engineering techniques such as fake CAPTCHA lures. Specific threat actors, including those with China and North Korea nexuses, have intensified their operations, indicating a need for organizations to enhance their defensive strategies against these sophisticated tactics.