Netwrix warns identity-orchestration attacks will become a top cybersecurity threat by 2026

The traditional boundary between identity management and data security is rapidly disappearing, significantly increasing cyber risk for organizations, according to a new report from Netwrix. Researchers warn that attackers are increasingly targeting identity orchestration systems, access automation, and federated trust mechanisms rather than individual credentials.

Netwrix notes that the growing use of AI-driven automation amplifies the impact of identity misconfigurations. Errors in permissions, tokens, or non-human identities can trigger large-scale data exposure within seconds. By compromising the orchestration layer, attackers can scale access across cloud and SaaS environments while appearing as legitimate activity in security logs.

The report also highlights a shift in cyber insurance practices. Insurers are moving away from questionnaire-based assessments toward evidence-driven underwriting that evaluates real-world configurations, vulnerability management, and incident response maturity. Network-edge vulnerabilities, including VPNs and firewalls, are receiving increased scrutiny.

The key takeaway from the report is that identity and data security can no longer be treated as separate disciplines. In AI- and automation-driven environments, they now form a single, interconnected risk domain that requires unified visibility and control.