Cofense’s Key Insights and Predictions for 2026: AI and the Future of Phishing Defense argues that phishing will remain one of the most dangerous attack vectors as generative AI enables highly targeted, convincing, and rapidly iterated campaigns that evade traditional email security. The report predicts an “automation paradox,” where overreliance on AI without sufficient analyst expertise increases risk, and stresses that cyber resilience in 2026 will depend on a strong human–AI partnership. Key themes include AI-augmented SOCs that use automation for triage while preserving human judgment, explainable and auditable AI to meet regulatory and governance demands, layered and context-aware detection beyond static IOCs, and empowered users as critical sensors. Threat actors will increasingly abuse legitimate tools, recycle old CVEs, and compress attack timelines from days to hours, making rapid intelligence sharing, governance, and human oversight essential to effective phishing defense.

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