The article describes a threat landscape shift where cybercriminals are automating full intrusion cycles into "agentic attack chains," fueled by the proliferation of stolen data and tools in criminal markets. This trend, detailed in Flashpoint's 2026 report, highlights the interdependence of infostealers, identity data, unpatched vulnerabilities, and ransomware operations. The report is based on intelligence gathered directly from criminal forums and underground services.
Cybercriminals spent much of 2025 automating their operations, shifting from one-off attacks to systems that can run entire intrusion cycles with minimal human input. Data collected from criminal forums, illicit marketplaces, and underground chat services shows a threat environment where stolen identity data, unpatched vulnerabilities, and ransomware operations are interdependent. The findings come from Flashpoint’s 2026 Global Threat Intelligence Report, pulling data directly from sources across open and restricted online spaces. AI is moving from … More → The post Agentic attack chains advance as infostealers flood criminal markets appeared first on Help Net Security .