I’ve just returned from four amazing days in New Orleans with our Customer Advisory Board. I’m so grateful for the time our customers gave us, the honest discussions about their challenges, and the insightful feedback on our vision and roadmap. The energy that comes from bringing our customers together—brilliant security leaders from across industries—is the driving force of our momentum. In these candid conversations, we don’t just discuss the challenges of today; we map out the landscape of tomorrow.
The message from our customers was clear: the security industry is on the cusp of a radical transformation. Here are three key predictions that surfaced from our discussions that will define 2026.
First, the AI paradox will create a new frontier of risk. Our customers are leaning into AI to drive innovation, but they see the double-edged sword. This rapid adoption is creating a vast, misunderstood attack surface. In response, the concept of an "AI Bill of Materials" will move from a theoretical idea to a business necessity. Establishing a clear chain of trust for the AI powering our businesses won't just be good practice; it will be essential for secure innovation.
Second, economic headwinds will result in relatively flat budgets in 2026. Meanwhile, the attack surface is expanding, in part due to AI coding tools driving up the volume of code generated, and the number and sophistication of threats is growing. Our customers are being forced to mitigate these risks, without additional budget. The era of experimenting with a sprawling vendor list is over. Our customers are clear: they will be consolidating their spend, focusing on true partners who can serve as an extension of their team. This isn’t just about finding a vendor; it’s about investing in a strategic partnership that helps them create and execute the offensive security program that meets their unique needs and delivers measurable risk reduction.
Finally, the value of human ingenuity will become paramount as AI tools replace basic scanning tools and bug bounty services, and assist human experts in finding complex, business logic vulnerabilities that machines miss. This is also where our data becomes critical. AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on, and our library—built from over a decade of structured findings from more than 5,000 annual pentests—is an asset no one else can replicate. It allows us to build AI that understands the nuances of an attack, not just the theory, giving our customers and pentesters an unmatched advantage.
The future isn't about replacing people with technology, but augmenting their expertise to achieve what couldn't be done before. This idea is the very foundation of our mission to unite the best of both to help organizations thrive. Leaving New Orleans, I am confident that this approach is not just relevant, but essential for navigating the road ahead. The future doesn't wait, and it's built by those bold enough to create it. And we are building it together.
