Chuck Brooks

Image by Roman from Pixabay

Agentic AI as the New Cyber Battle-Ground

Prediction: Autonomous (“agentic”) AI — systems that act with minimal human intervention — will be central in both attacks and defense. 

Implication: Attackers will use AI bots to run reconnaissance, move laterally, and exfiltrate data; defenders must deploy AI agents to monitor, detect, and contain threats. Security teams need to simulate “agents in the wild” to test unexpected, emergent behaviors.

Quantum Computing Threat Accelerates

Prediction: 2026 will mark a tipping point for quantum-related risk.

Implication: Stolen data today may be decrypted later (“harvest now, decrypt later”). Legacy encryption systems (e.g., RSA, ECC) will be increasingly vulnerable. Organizations must inventory their crypto assets, adopt post-quantum or hybrid cryptography, and properly manage key deletion and archival.

Rise of Deepfakes and Synthetic Identities

Prediction: Deepfake audio/video and synthetic identities will be used more aggressively by threat actors. 

Implication: Traditional identity verification (e.g., one-time checks) will be insufficient. Defense strategies should incorporate continuous authentication and behavioral anomaly detection. There's also a need to educate employees about “synthetic realism” and plan for legal/insurance coverage relating to identity spoofing.

Expanding Attack Surface via IoT, Edge, and Device Proliferation

Prediction: As IoT, edge computing, and 5G/6G expand, attackers will increasingly exploit weak embedded devices. 

Implication: Devices with poor patching capabilities or default credentials will be prime targets. Edge clusters can become pivot points for lateral movement. Security must emphasize device lifecycle management (provisioning, patching, decommissioning), micro-segmentation, and a zero-trust mindset at the device level.

Cybercrime Organizes as Corporate-Class Businesses

Prediction: Cybercriminal groups will operate more like formal enterprises, with affiliate models, subscriptions, and full “service industries” around ransomware and extortion. 

Implication: Treat threat actors not merely as “hackers” but as business competitors. Expect outsourced operations, “customer support” for ransomware victims, and professionalization. Organizations need to invest in resilience (not just prevention), leadership, and culture, and integrate business continuity, insurance, and legal strategies into their incident response planning.

Cybersecurity as a Strategic Business Pillar

Prediction: Companies that embed cybersecurity into their business strategy — not just treat it as IT overhead — will perform best. 

Implication: CISOs (or equivalent) must be elevated to strategic business partners. Metrics should go beyond “threats blocked” to include resilience indicators: time-to-recover, adaptability, containment effectiveness. Cyber risk must be woven into board-level discussions, supply-chain coordination, threat intelligence sharing, and cultural change.

For more perspectives please also see: Cybersecurity 2026: 6 Forecasts and a Blueprint for the Year Ahead

We are not simply entering a new technological era—we are living in one. Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, the Internet of Things, advanced networks, and space systems are converging into an ecosystem that touches commerce, national security, and everyday life.

As I discussed in my book Inside Cyber, technological opportunity and systemic risk are two sides of the same coin. How we govern, design, and deploy these capabilities will determine whether they become engines of prosperity or vectors of fragility.

Artificial Intelligence: Acceleration, Automation, and Accountability

AI is rewriting the playbook for productivity and decision-making. From automating diagnostics in healthcare to optimizing logistics and augmenting intelligence analysis, AI has become an accelerator of capability across nearly every domain.

However, this acceleration comes with complex risks. Malicious actors are already weaponizing AI to scale disinformation, automate reconnaissance, and craft realistic phishing and deepfake campaigns that target human behavior as much as network vulnerabilities.

The defensive answer is not to slow innovation but to embed accountability into every stage of development: explainable models, adversarial testing, red-team reviews, and strong data provenance. Leaders must treat AI risk as enterprise risk and ensure transparency, governance, and oversight guide every deployment.

Quantum: Promise, Peril, and Preparation

Quantum technologies—computing, sensing, and communications—are transitioning from theoretical science to operational capability. They promise breakthroughs in logistics, drug discovery, and materials science, but they also pose existential cybersecurity challenges.

Quantum computing threatens to render much of today’s encryption obsolete. The looming “harvest now, decrypt later” threat means adversaries may already be stockpiling encrypted data to exploit once quantum decryption becomes viable.

Preparation is essential. The path forward requires migration to post-quantum cryptography, secure-by-design architectures, and a coordinated effort between governments, industry, and academia to build testbeds, establish standards, and grow a skilled workforce.

Quantum readiness will define future resilience—and those who plan early will lead in both trust and capability.

The Internet of Things and Operational Technology: The Expanding Attack Surface

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects tens of billions of devices—ranging from smart homes and vehicles to industrial sensors and healthcare systems. According to Statista, there will be more than 29 billion IoT devices worldwide by 2030, a dramatic increase from 16.7 billion in 2023.

This unprecedented connectivity offers efficiency and data-driven insights but also multiplies risk. Many devices are deployed with weak security controls, short product lifecycles, and limited patching mechanisms, making them ideal footholds for cybercriminals and hostile actors.

Operational resilience demands disciplined management: maintaining accurate asset inventories, enforcing identity-centric device authentication, ensuring secure update paths, and integrating software bills of materials (SBOMs) into procurement contracts.

As I have often emphasized, cybersecurity must be engineered into IoT ecosystems from inception—not bolted on after deployment.

Networks, Edge, and Resilience

5G, edge computing, and software-defined networks are the connective tissue enabling this digital revolution. They power real-time analytics, autonomy, and distributed sensing—but they also create concentration points of risk.
A compromise in one layer of the network can cascade rapidly across sectors. To mitigate that, networks must be architected for resilience: segmentation, observability, encryption, and supply-chain diversity are critical.

True resilience assumes breach and focuses on minimizing the blast radius of compromise while maintaining continuity of essential services.

Space Systems as Critical Infrastructure

Space is now part of the cybersecurity landscape. Satellites provide communications, navigation, and intelligence capabilities that underpin both civilian life and national defense.

Yet these systems face growing threats—from signal jamming and spoofing to ground-station intrusions and supply-chain tampering. The global commercial space sector now exceeds $550 billion annually and is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2035, underscoring its strategic and economic importance.

To protect this domain, cybersecurity standards must extend into orbit: robust encryption for telemetry, redundant ground control networks, and continuous monitoring against electronic and kinetic threats. Space should be treated as critical infrastructure, vital to the functioning of modern civilization.

Convergence and Cascading Risk

The true challenge of emerging technologies lies in their convergence. AI can optimize and attack IoT systems. Quantum computing can decrypt their communications. Edge networks and satellites can propagate both benefits and failures at unprecedented speed.

We face an era of cascading risk, where vulnerabilities in one domain can amplify across others. Meeting that challenge requires cross-domain collaboration—between government, industry, academia, and international partners.

Policy and Strategic Priorities

The future will reward foresight. Key actions for policymakers and executives include:

• Accelerate adoption of post-quantum cryptography in critical sectors.
• Establish AI governance frameworks emphasizing transparency, explainability, and adversarial testing.
• Require baseline security standards for IoT devices and software supply chains, including unique credentials and update lifecycles.
• Expand public-private testbeds and research partnerships to harden systems before mass deployment.
• Build workforce pipelines that blend expertise across cybersecurity, engineering, and policy.

These are not aspirational talking points—they are practical imperatives for securing the digital future.

The Road Ahead: Leading with Foresight

Emerging technologies are reshaping the balance of power, economy, and society. In Inside Cyber, I noted that the future of cybersecurity is not about eliminating risk, but about intelligently managing it amid accelerating innovation.

Artificial intelligence will amplify our analytical power; quantum will redefine computation; IoT will extend our digital reach; and space will expand our operational horizon.

The question is not whether these technologies will transform our world—they already have. The real question is how we choose to guide that transformation.

If we lead with foresight, engineer with integrity, and collaborate globally, we can ensure that AI, quantum, and connected technologies serve humanity’s best interests—creating a future defined by resilience, trust, and progress.

Social media has transformed the way people interact and conduct business both in the public and private sector. The Covid19 pandemic, combined economic factors, have led to the emergence of remote work and hybrid environments and different ways of doing commerce. The move away from business lunches, live events, and meetings has propelled digital platforms into becoming a main fulcrum for communications and branding. Those social platforms have especially impacted components of business development, sales, government relations, and marketing and are helping shape pathways to success.

Many users enjoy social mediums because they control the content, and it is non-invasive. Also, it can be perpetually shared. Social media has become a platform to communicate who we are and what we do. Platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, have now become a daily means for sharing content, building networks, and reaching targeted markets. Thought leadership on meaningful topics is of timely interest to everyone and the use of subject matter experts and influencers have become a primary means for brand amplification via articles, blogs, podcasts, and online events.

Today, most senior-level executives on both the public and private sectors have LinkedIn profiles, including administrators, CEOs, CTO, CIOS and their numbers are increasing. They often use it as a conduit for 1) Branding 2) Socializing/Networking; 2) Basic Intelligence; 3) Events: and 4) Strategic Partnering/Marketing.

Branding:  the trend of digital brand amplification began to grow at the beginning of the outset of the pandemic. Because of the lack of in person meetings, many companies, new & old, large & small, sought to be more visible and recognized for the unique viability for branding on social media platforms. Companies were and are seeking quality and interesting content that helps enable them to be able to connect with peers and clients. A benefit of social media digital marketing and brand amplification is that it can be very cost-effective, repetitive, and can generate revenue and build positive reputations. A good written message, video or graphic can have a long shelf-life and be shared widely across various social media platforms. Influencers have also become part of the branding mix; expertise bring credibility and attention and many companies have expanded strategies that use influencers and thought leaders who can augment company marketing and sales.

Socializing/networking: social media is in its essence “social.” It is an outlet for networking and connecting with people who share your interests, goals, and professional paths.  A platform like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are useful for reconnecting to people you have worked with in past jobs, friends, and alumni of universities, and colleges. In particular, the service encourages you to join professional and hobby interest groups where you can post articles and engage in discussion with group members. I am a big proponent of LinkedIn for networking where I have over 73,000 followers, especially with targeted groups. For example, I have management roles in several of the largest and most influential homeland security groups on LinkedIn. Another key area of group ownership and involvement for me on LinkedIn is with cybersecurity and emerging technology groups where I find the readership are exceptionally informed and active. Also, as a “foodie”, I created the “DC Foodies” LinkedIn group to reach out to others in the greater Washington, DC area that may have a passion for food, wine, and restaurants. On LinkedIn there is a group for almost every subject from healthcare, governing, martial arts, Space, to quantum physics.

Basic Intelligence: Another function of social media is that it provides you with working biographies of members. Whenever I have a meeting with someone new, I can usually find their profile on LinkedIn and see where they worked, what schools they attended and who we know in common. Also, by following the posts in groups, I can view the latest news from a variety of sources on a topic of interest. Also, almost all federal agencies and public entities have their own profiles (and often groups) on LinkedIn that make the basic intel process quick and easy.

Events: There is no better place to go to find out who is hosting what than on social media. This includes LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook in the event domain. Since most publications are intertwined between print and digital media, social media outlets are a fulcrum for seeing what activities are happening in personal or business areas of interest daily.

Strategic Partnering/Marketing: social media is really the Holy Grail for strategic partnering and marketing. Messaging is immediate, perpetual, and cost-effective. It is also much targeted and will allow you to focus communications to audiences, both individual and groups that may have an interest in your offerings and services. For those who are specifically focused on the federal market, LinkedIn is an especially good resource for finding teaming members and potentially partners to pursue opportunities. By being active on LinkedIn, companies can often find you and reach out for help in areas that may be mutually beneficial. As government encourages diverse and multiple partners to work together on programs, the importance of having a strong stable of networked partners is becoming more of a premium.

We are still only in the early era of social media. It will continue to grow and be fused into all aspects of our lives, especially with the growth of augmented reality and emerging communication technologies. Social media vehicles like LinkedIn already have great utility in the workplace both in the corporate world and in government. Linked and other social media platforms are already shaping communications. “Linking in” and being active on social media platforms have become more of an imperative than a choice for those who want to thrive in a digital world. 

Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting International, and Adjunct Faculty at Georgetown University, is a Technology Evangelist, Corporate Executive, Speaker, Writer, Government Relations, Business Development, and Marketing Executive. LinkedIn named Chuck as one of “The Top 5 Tech People to Follow on LinkedIn.” He was named as one of the world’s “10 Best Cyber Security and Technology Experts” by Best Rated, as a “Top 50 Global Influencer in Risk, Compliance,” by Thomson Reuters, “Best of The Word in Security” by CISO Platform, and by IFSEC as the “#2 Global Cybersecurity Influencer.” He was also named “Best in The World in Security” by CISO Platform, one of the “Top 5 Executives to Follow on Cybersecurity” by Executive Mosaic, and as a “Top Leader in Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies” by Thinkers360. Chuck was named by Oncon in 2019 “Top Global Top 50 Marketer” by his peers across industry. 

Chuck also a Cybersecurity Expert for “The Network” at the Washington Post, Visiting Editor at Homeland Security Today, Expert for Executive Mosaic/GovCon, and a Contributor to FORBES. He is a featured contributor to Thinkers360

In the science, technology worlds, there is a category referred to as “technology foraging,” or the searching for smart ideas and emerging technologies that may exist already in research institutions of found in patents to fill gaps and offer new solutions.  Technology foraging has been an engine for the technological transformation now taking place in society.  It has served as a catalyst for discoveries of many products brought to the marketplace.

The foraging process is often conducted in research centers by national labs, universities, and in government & corporate innovation hubs. It has expanded commensurately with the rapid pace of innovation in our new era of exponential digital transformation where humans and computing devices are intertwined, and data is more accessible. Please see my article Technology Foraging for Cybersecurity Solutions Technology Foraging for Cybersecurity Solutions | AT&T Cybersecurity (att.com)                                                                                                                 

Digital transformation combined with tech foraging of the 4th Industrial Era has led to significant jumps in innovation of technologies. This includes, for example, emerging tech such as big data, artificial intelligence, IoT, smart cities, 5G wireless, virtual & augmented reality, nanotechnologies, robotics, self-driving cars, 3-D Printing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, predictive data analytics, Biometrics and wearables, self-healing materials, bioinformatics, genetic engineering, and a new world of medical applications. 

The digital transformation It has also impacted communication mediums, especially social media where research, ideas, analyses, and opinions are cultivated by open sharing and interaction. The networking and information sharing on digital mediums can be viewed as a foraging process. The pace of digital expansion and change is happening so rapidly that it can be quite overwhelming just to try to keep up.  But social media does offer a pathway to do so via innovation foraging and collaborative information sharing.

For example, my career passion revolves around searching and reading about topics in cybersecurity. Using social media, I can keep abreast of the latest news and events. A case in point is the recent Colonial Pipeline breach. Almost immediately after happened, detailed descriptions of the breach and surrounding issues such as ransomware were posted on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other digital mediums. There was a potpourri of expert perspectives available, including posts on technical analyses, and posts on geopolitical and economic implications. Forging through posts you can also develop your own knowledge to explore remedies and policy frameworks that may apply digital impact to your own professional or business circumstances.

From my perspective as cyber security & technology strategist, the extensive resources of LinkedIn combined with their supporting analytics provides a great platform to communicate, educate and promote. For me, LinkedIn groups, including the dozen groups I created, serve as the most optimal social media digital offerings for foraging. Research on LinkedIn is significantly amplified by the myriad of specialized information security LinkedIn groups that I can pull insightful and timely data from on a regular basis. 

Several years back I wrote an article for LinkedIn called Why LinkedIn is an Indispensable Medium for Security Professionals Why LinkedIn is an Indispensable Medium for Security Professionals | LinkedIn Marketing Blog  In that blog I noted that” LinkedIn has become part of the fabric of how I (and a majority of my peers) communicate, operate, and conduct business. For me, LinkedIn groups serve as interactive, informative forums. Many of the members in my groups are security professionals who have important roles in government or industry, including CISOS, CIOs, CTOs, or members of the C-Suite who possess deep subject matter knowledge.” I also stated that for thought leadership on homeland security and cybersecurity issues, that “LinkedIn is a real force for digital influence. It is an effective platform for educating, evangelizing, and promoting discussion of the cutting risk management issues.”

The value of LinkedIn for evangelism and marketing goes far beyond immediate connections.  The extensive resources of LinkedIn combined with the intrinsic marketing capabilities based upon intelligence analytics provides a ready platform to communicate, educate and promote. In my major areas of interest, cybersecurity and emerging tech, I am very active in interchange of news and innovative ideas with groups, and also with my 70,000 direct follower connections. It facilitates keeping up with cybersecurity and emerging technology trends that I can share with others across digital media.

With 18 years under its belt and a membership globally of over 800,000 users, LinkedIn has become increasingly valuable as a forging resource and influence platform for branding people and companies. Twitter offers good avenues for networking, and often is starting point for interesting links that spur more foraging on other media sites. Both platforms offer users measurable metrics to track effectiveness of content and interactions.

For employees at a company or organization, foraging (and info sharing) on digital mediums as a corporate strategy can help drive collaboration between often aloof silos comprised of the c-suite, marketing, legal, and sales. A social media platform can also foster company awareness & relationship, cultivate business networks, and can even be used as a research tool for due diligence. For both companies and individuals, social digital platforms can serve as a resource and enabler for innovation by sharing important data derived from foraging among informative posts. 

Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting International, is a globally recognized thought leader and subject matter expert Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies. LinkedIn named Chuck as one of “The Top 5 Tech People to Follow on LinkedIn.” He was named by Thompson Reuters as a “Top 50 Global Influencer in Risk, Compliance,” and by IFSEC as the “#2 Global Cybersecurity Influencer.” He was featured in the 2020 Onalytica "Who's Who in Cybersecurity" – as one of the top Influencers for cybersecurity issues. He was also named one of the Top 5 Executives to Follow on Cybersecurity by Executive Mosaic. He is also a Cybersecurity Expert for “The Network” at the Washington Post, Visiting Editor at Homeland Security Today, Expert for Executive Mosaic/GovCon, and a Contributor to FORBES. 

Chuck Brooks LinkedIn Profile:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckbrooks/

Chuck Brooks on Twitter:   @ChuckDBrooks

Location: Washington, DC    Fees: Negotiable

Service Type: Service Offered