INE Security Announces “2026: Year of the Defender”—A Global Initiative to Position Technical Teams as the New Front Line of Cybersecurity

CARY, NC — January 7, 2026 — As attackers increasingly exploit the "white space" between networks, cloud environments, and code bases, INE Security today announced the Year of the Defender. This initiative recognizes that cyber readiness has been fundamentally redefined: upskilling and cross-training are no longer optional—they are the new foundation of effective defense.

In the modern enterprise, technologies once managed in silos are now inextricably linked. This interconnectedness has expanded the attack surface and shifted the burden of defense onto the shoulders of all technical teams. Networking, systems, and development professionals are no longer operating at the periphery of security; they are now the central nervous system of organizational resilience.

“Cyber readiness is no longer defined by how many tools an organization deploys,” said Alexis Ahmed, Cybersecurity Instructor at INE Security. “In 2026, readiness depends on whether every technical professional—from the network engineer to the software developer—has the proactive skills to understand how systems connect, where vulnerabilities emerge, and how attackers exploit the gaps between them.”

The Front Line: Exploiting Gaps Between Systems and Teams

Modern attackers do not target isolated technologies; they exploit misconfigurations, identity weaknesses, and the communication breakdowns between siloed teams. These attack paths move fluidly across networks and cloud platforms, leveraging a lack of cross-domain visibility.

The financial impact of these gaps is staggering. In 2025, the global cost of cloud misconfigurations was estimated at $10.3 billion, driven by insecure storage, identity failures, and container vulnerabilities. These failures almost always occur at the intersection of networking and cloud responsibilities where a lack of security-first training leaves an opening. Under the Year of the Defender initiative, INE Security is helping enterprises bridge these gaps by transforming every technical contributor into a proactive defender.

Zero Trust and Cloud Complexity Raise the Bar

As Zero Trust architecture becomes the industry standard—with 52% of organizations already fully deployed—the technical requirements for infrastructure design have reached a new level of complexity. Simultaneously, 71% of organizations now operate more than 10 separate cloud security tools, leading to massive alert fatigue.

To combat this, the Year of the Defender focuses on execution over mere monitoring. By training technical teams in proactive defense and risk prioritization, organizations can reduce the noise and stop threats before they escalate into breaches.

AI and Cloud Security: The New Core Competencies

Emerging technologies are further reshaping defender expectations. For the second consecutive year, AI security skills and cloud security skills have ranked as the top capabilities required by the market. As technical teams build generalized AI knowledge, they must also understand AI-driven threats. This shift reflects a growing reality: modern defense requires an adaptable, cross-domain skill set that extends far beyond traditional role boundaries.

Closing the Risk Multiplier: The Skills Gap

Staffing shortages and skills gaps are now primary risk multipliers. IBM’s research confirms that organizations with severe staffing shortages incur significantly higher costs per breach. Furthermore, nearly 69% of organizations report that multiple cybersecurity incidents have been tied directly to a lack of skilled personnel.

“Tools alone don’t close skill gaps,” added Ahmed. “In 2026, the organizations that survive and thrive will be those that prioritize the continuous, hands-on training of their technical teams. We are empowering the front line to identify, intercept, and neutralize threats in real-time.”

About Year of the Defender

The Year of the Defender initiative by INE Security highlights a fundamental shift in cybersecurity strategy: modern defense depends on defenders who understand the entire ecosystem. Through continuous, hands-on training across networking, security, cloud, and emerging technologies, INE is building the next generation of resilient technical workforces.

Organizations looking to strengthen defender readiness and close critical skills gaps can learn more about INE’s team training programs at learn.ine.com/schedule-a-demo.

About INE

INE is an award-winning, premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity education, including cybersecurity training and certification. INE is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and IT professionals around the globe. Leveraging a state-of-the-art hands-on lab platform, advanced technologies, a global video distribution network, and instruction from world-class experts, INE sets the standard for high-impact, career-advancing technical education.