At GISEC 2026, Sophos will showcase its unified security approach as AI-powered threats expose the limits of fragmented cybersecurity tools.
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity on both sides of the battlefield. While enterprises are deploying AI to improve productivity and automate operations, attackers are increasingly using automation and AI to accelerate campaigns, exploit vulnerabilities and scale attacks.
Sophos is positioning its Sophos Fusion platform as a response to this changing threat environment, bringing prevention, detection, investigation and response capabilities into a connected AI-native cybersecurity architecture.
The need for greater integration is becoming increasingly apparent. Sophos’ 2026 State of Ransomware findings indicate that identity-based access remains a major attack vector, accounting for 79% of ransomware incidents globally. Malicious email and phishing, exploited vulnerabilities and compromised credentials continue to provide attackers with multiple pathways into enterprise environments.
“As AI agents gain greater access to sensitive systems and data, enterprises need security and governance to keep pace with innovation. This demands a coordinated, AI-native defense system that can respond at the speed and scale of today’s threats,” said Harish Chib, Vice President for Emerging Markets, Middle East & Africa at Sophos.
For organisations in the Middle East, the challenge is particularly significant as rapid digital transformation expands attack surfaces across cloud, identity, applications and connected infrastructure.
At GISEC Global 2026, Sophos will highlight how agentic AI is being integrated into its MDR operations to automate high-confidence security tasks while retaining human analysts for business judgement, context and complex investigations. The approach reflects an emerging cybersecurity model where AI operates at machine speed, but human expertise remains central to accountability.
Sophos is also expanding its use of frontier AI through collaborations including the OpenAI Cyber Partner Program and Anthropic’s Project Glasswing.
The larger message is clear: as cyber threats become faster and more coordinated, security teams may no longer be able to rely on disconnected tools. The future of cyber resilience will increasingly depend on unified platforms that combine AI-driven automation with experienced human intelligence.
