Cybersecurity in 2026: why digital risk is no longer just an IT responsibility

For years, cybersecurity was treated as an essentially technical matter. The focus was on firewalls, antivirus, access management, backups, tools, systems and IT teams.

All of this remains essential. But it is no longer enough.

In 2026, the central question is no longer simply whether the organisation has technology to protect itself. The question is more demanding: can the organisation demonstrate that it understands its digital risk, governs it, has prepared its teams and knows how to respond when operations are put to the test?

This change is not only the result of increasing threats. It also results from much more concrete regulatory pressure. In Portugal, the new Cybersecurity Legal Framework, which transposes the NIS2 Directive, entered into force on 3 April 2026, reinforcing obligations relating to governance, risk management, cybersecurity measures and incident reporting.

In the financial sector, DORA has applied since 17 January 2025 and has raised expectations regarding the ability of financial entities to withstand, respond to and recover from disruptions related to information and communication technologies (ICT), including cyberattacks and operational failures.

At the same time, the threat landscape continues to intensify. The April 2026 CNCS Cybersecurity Observatory Bulletin highlights topics such as ransomware, smishing, malware, phishing-as-a-service, exploited vulnerabilities and cyber espionage campaigns using generative AI.

At global level, the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 identifies digital fraud as one of CEOs’ main concerns, while CISOs remain particularly focused on ransomware, supply chain resilience and vulnerabilities associated with artificial intelligence.

The conclusion is clear: cybersecurity is no longer just a matter of technological protection. It is now a matter of management, continuity, compliance, reputation and operational capability.

Cybersecurity in 2026: digital risk has reached the management table

When a cybersecurity incident occurs, its impact is rarely confined to IT.

There may be service disruption, loss or exposure of data, impact on customers, supply chain failures, operational delays, media pressure, notification obligations, legal involvement, audits, evidence requests and urgent management decisions.

That is why the organisation must know, before an incident occurs, who decides, who escalates, who communicates, who reports, who validates continuity, who contacts suppliers and who ensures that evidence is documented.

These are not merely technical questions. They are governance questions.

Good cybersecurity does not reduce the importance of technical teams. On the contrary: it gives them context, authority and the ability to coordinate with management, risk, compliance, legal, privacy, human resources, communication and operations.

In this context, cybersecurity governance depends less on declared intentions and more on the ability to demonstrate decisions, responsibilities and results.

From intention to evidence in cybersecurity governance

NIS2, DORA and other requirements associated with digital resilience have one point in common: it is no longer enough to state that controls exist. It is necessary to demonstrate that they have been defined, assigned, implemented, reviewed and tested.

Compliance is not sustained by generic statements. It is sustained by evidence.

This means that the organisation must be able to show how it identifies and assesses cybersecurity risks, what responsibilities have been assigned, what processes exist for incident reporting and response, which critical suppliers have been assessed, which controls are applied and monitored, which teams have been prepared, which tests or simulations have been carried out and which decisions have been recorded and followed up.

This is a relevant change for many organisations. The question is no longer just “do we have measures?” but “can we demonstrate that these measures exist, are appropriate and work when they are needed?”.

Digital risk: people remain a critical surface

Many incidents begin with an apparently simple action.

• A click on a link.
• An opened attachment.
• A reused password.
• A transfer approved in haste.
• An IBAN change accepted without sufficient confirmation.
• Internal information shared through the wrong channel.

Technology reduces exposure, but it does not replace prepared teams.

That is why cybersecurity training should not be treated as an annual activity to tick off a calendar. It should be seen as an operational control measure, linked to real functions, risks and responsibilities.

A management team does not need to know how to configure a firewall. But it does need to understand impact, priority, escalation, communication and accountability.

A human resources team does not need to be a specialist in information security. But it should know how to handle personal data, access, onboarding and offboarding, awareness and incidents involving people.

A finance team does not need to conduct forensic investigations. But it should be able to recognise signs of fraud, validate sensitive requests, confirm changes to bank details, follow procedures and escalate suspicions.

A technical team does not only need technical knowledge. It also needs method, documentation, evidence, communication and coordination with risk, compliance, legal, continuity and management.

AI, digital risk and new governance requirements

Artificial intelligence has created new opportunities for organisations. But it has also increased the speed, scale and sophistication of certain risks.

Fraudulent messages can become more credible. False content can appear more professional. Attacks can become more personalised. Internal data may be exposed through inappropriate use of tools. Automated processes can generate decisions that are difficult to explain or audit.

AI should therefore not be treated merely as innovation. It should be integrated into risk governance, information security, privacy, compliance, continuity and audit.

The essential question is simple: is the organisation adopting technology faster than it is preparing its controls, its teams and its evidence?

How to prepare the organisation for cybersecurity in 2026

Readiness does not need to begin with an excessively complex project. It can begin with a practical and progressive approach.

The first step is to clarify the organisation’s scope and exposure. It is important to understand whether it is directly covered by NIS2, DORA or other requirements, or whether it will be indirectly affected through customers, partners, suppliers or supply chains.

It is then necessary to map critical processes: services, systems, data, suppliers, teams and dependencies that support operations.

In parallel, responsibilities should be reviewed. Who decides? Who executes? Who communicates? Who reports? Who validates evidence? Who follows up corrective actions?

The organisation should also assess its incident management maturity, confirming whether procedures exist for detection, reporting, response, escalation, communication and post-incident learning.

Training should be adapted to different profiles: management bodies, middle management, IT, security, risk, compliance, audit, human resources, finance, operations and users.

Everything that is defined should be tested and documented. Simulations, exercises, internal audits and periodic reviews help transform policies into demonstrable capability.

Finally, cybersecurity should be connected to business continuity. A digital incident can become, within hours, an operational, reputational, contractual and regulatory problem. The response should consider technology, people, suppliers, customers, communication, recovery and learning.

Cybersecurity training: from generic awareness to operational readiness

Training in cybersecurity, digital compliance and operational resilience should respond to concrete needs.

It should prepare management bodies for governance responsibilities, enable teams to identify and report incidents, support risk and compliance professionals in structuring control models, train technical teams in response, continuity and evidence, and align IT, security, legal, privacy, human resources, operations and management.

Without this alignment, the organisation may have tools, policies and procedures, but fail at the moment when it needs to act with speed, clarity and consistency.

At Behaviour, the Digital Compliance and Operational Resilience area works precisely across this cycle: regulatory context, governance, ICT risk, evidence and digital operational resilience. This pathway integrates topics such as DORA, NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act, reporting, third parties, incident response, recovery, information security, business continuity, privacy, artificial intelligence and organisational compliance management.

Cybersecurity in 2026: the right question is no longer “do we have security?”

The right question is: are we prepared to demonstrate that we govern digital risk?

The answer requires technology, but also method. It requires tools, but also processes. It requires specialists, but also informed management. It requires technical response, but also communication, evidence and continuity. It requires training, but training aligned with real responsibilities.

In 2026, cybersecurity is not only about trying to prevent every incident. It is about reducing likelihood, limiting impact, responding with clarity, recovering with method and demonstrating maturity.

When digital risk enters operations, the response can no longer depend only on IT.

It must depend on a prepared organisation.

Frequently asked questions about cybersecurity, digital risk and operational resilience

Date: 11 June 2026
Author: Behaviour
Copying or reproduction of this article is not authorised.

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