Research

QuantNest Q1 Threat Landscape Report Released

QuantNest Radar Team
QuantNest Radar Team
Author
Mar 10, 2026
15 min read
QuantNest Q1 Threat Landscape Report Released

The inaugural QuantNest Threat Landscape report for Q1 2026 is now available. This quarter saw a 400% increase in AI-assisted social engineering, and a dramatic shift in how ransomware operators extort their victims.

Key Findings

  • The death of Double-Extortion: Threat actors are moving straight to data-exfiltration and extortion without bothering to encrypt data, saving time and resources.
  • AI as an Offensive Multiplier: From writing polymorphic malware variants to deep-fake audio spear-phishing, AI is democratizing the attack lifecycle.
  • Cloud Configuration: 72% of reported breaches this quarter originated from poorly configured cloud identity access management (IAM) policies.

Read the full report in our Research Portal.