The release of the 🔗2026 Global Threat Report by CrowdStrike has confirmed what many in the security community have long suspected: the barrier between initial access and full-scale breach has reached a record low. In 2025, the average eCrime breakout time plummeted to just 29 minutes which represents a staggering 65% increase in speed from the previous year.
For modern organisations, this isn’t just a statistic; it is a tactical reality. When an adversary can move laterally within your network in less time than a standard lunch break, traditional “detect and respond” cycles are no longer sufficient.
1. The Rise of the AI-Enabled Adversary
The report highlights an 89% surge in attacks from AI-enabled adversaries. However, this isn’t science fiction; it is the practical application of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative tools to automate the “drudge work” of hacking.
Adversaries are now using AI to:
Scale Reconnaissance |
Identifying vulnerabilities in internet-facing edge devices at machine speed. |
Refine Social Engineering |
Creating hyper-realistic, multilingual phishing campaigns that lack the typical red flags of poor grammar or syntax. |
Automate Scripting |
Rapidly generating code to dump credentials and erase forensic evidence before security teams can intervene. |
2. The Death of the “File-Based” Threat
Perhaps the most significant shift for IT leaders is that 82% of detections were malware-free. The days of relying on antivirus to catch a virus.exe file are largely behind us. Instead, attackers are using valid credentials and legitimate administrative tools to blend into normal network traffic.
By the time an alert is triggered, the adversary has often already achieved their objective using the very tools your team uses for daily operations.
3. The Zero-Day Acceleration
The report also notes a 42% increase in the exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities before they are publicly disclosed. Attackers are increasingly targeting the seams of the enterprise (e.g. VPNs, firewalls, and edge devices) where visibility is often lower. This proactive exploitation highlights a sophisticated intelligence-gathering capability among both state-nexus and eCrime groups.
4. Financial Stakes: The $1.46 Billion Heist
The financial motivations remain more potent than ever. The report cites a record-breaking $1.46 billion USD cryptocurrency heist, a milestone in digital theft that underscores the professionalisation of cyber crime. These funds are often reinvested into further R&D, creating a self-sustaining cycle of increasingly sophisticated attack infrastructure.
Moving Beyond Resilience
The findings of the 2026 report suggest that security is no longer just about the tools you own, but the speed at which your human expertise and software can interact. To combat an adversary moving at machine speed, defenders must leverage AI-driven analytics and elite threat hunting to close the 29-minute window.
This overview was brought to you by our Sales and Marketing Manager at Mondas, 🔗learn more about George on LinkedIn.
Article First Published 26/02/2026
