2026 Really Is This Risky: Our Top Recommendations For CISOs
Forrester, Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
Security leaders entered 2026 with little expectation that uncertainty will ease . ever. Economic pressure, geopolitical instability, accelerating artificial intelligence adoption, and renewed technology consolidation have turned volatility into a structural condition rather than a temporary disruption.
This is life now, and CISOs are being asked to move faster, support aggressive AI initiatives, and protect trust, all while budgets, headcount, and pressure for assurance tighten.
Our latest report, Top Recommendations For Your Security Program, 2026, provides our team's prioritized advice for security leaders navigating this reality. Rather than assuming stability will return, this year's recommendations focus on building programs that can flex, rebalance, and endure as conditions change.