IBM Threat Index Report: AI is Speeding Up Cyberattacks, IBM Cautions Canadian Organizations

TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2026 /CNW/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today released the 2026 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, showing that AI-accelerated cyberattacks are reshaping the North American threat landscape and increasing pressure on Canadian organizations. North America is now the most attacked region globally, accounting for nearly a third of all incidents X-Force responded to last year -- a trend with direct implications for Canada.

Inside the uOttawa–IBM Cyber Range, teams practice defending against the same AI-accelerated attacks identified as top risks to Canadian organizations in IBM’s 2026 X Force Threat Intelligence Index.

North American patterns offer a clear view of the risks facing Canadian enterprises, given shared cloud infrastructure, interconnected supply chains, and similar attacker behaviours across the region.

The report highlights a 44% surge in attacks that begin by exploiting public-facing applications, driven by missing authentication controls and AI-enabled vulnerability discovery. Globally, vulnerability exploitation became the leading cause of cyberattacks in 2025, reflecting persistent challenges for Canadian organizations grappling with aging systems, patching delays, and rapidly expanding SaaS environments.

Credentials are still highly sought after by cybercriminals. In North America, credential harvesting was the most common impact, underscoring how compromised accounts continue to fuel attacks across the region. At the same time, cybercriminals have begun targeting AI platforms directly: infostealer malware exposed more than 300,000 ChatGPT credentials globally in 2025, revealing the risk created when AI tools are deployed without adequate safeguards.

"Canadian organizations are facing a perfect storm: legacy systems, rapid AI adoption, and increasingly automated threats," said Chris Sicard, Security Leader, IBM Canada. "The speed at which attackers can now identify and exploit vulnerabilities means traditional, reactive security models are no longer enough. Organizations across Canada need to modernize authentication, secure their AI adoption, and continuously hunt for vulnerabilities before attackers do."

Global & North American Trends with Clear Canadian Relevance

North American and global patterns strongly reflect the realities of Canada's digital ecosystem:

• Manufacturing remained the most attacked industry globally in 2025 (27.7%) -- highly relevant for Canada given its advanced manufacturing footprint.
• Finance and insurance accounted for 27% of global attacks, consistent with the high-value data concentration in Canada's financial sector.
• Government and public sector organizations globally saw attacks driven by phishing and valid account use.

AI is Accelerating Attacker Playbooks

The IBM X-Force report shows that adversaries are using AI to compress decision cycles, scale phishing attacks, and manipulate digital identities. These advancements enable less-skilled attackers to execute sophisticated campaigns once limited to advanced threat actors.

Recommendations for Canadian Organizations

• Secure AI platforms as core enterprise infrastructure with conditional access and strong identity controls.
• Modernize authentication and treat identity as critical infrastructure.
• Continuously hunt for vulnerabilities across cloud infrastructure, applications, and networks.
• Map external attack surface exposure, including to identify leaked credentials and client-specific assets.
• Strengthen patching and configuration hygiene to reduce the most exploited attack paths.

To access the full IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2026, visit: https://www.ibm.com/reports/threat-intelligence

Media Contact: 
Lorraine Baldwin
IBM Canada Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE IBM