Burnaby-based Fortinet is warning that Canadian organizations are facing a “perfect storm” of rising cyber threats, AI-enabled attacks, and persistent cybersecurity talent shortages.
The global cybersecurity leader released two new reports this week, its 2026 Global Threat Landscape Report and 2026 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, which suggest cybercriminals are adopting artificial intelligence faster than many organizations can build the teams and tools needed to defend against them.
According to Fortinet, Canada now ranks second globally for ransomware attacks, with 374 organizations extorted last year. The total number of cyberattacks against Canadians also climbed to 17 billion in 2025, up from 13.7 billion in 2024.
Fortinet’s reports also found that 82% of Canadian organizations experienced at least one breach in the past year, with 19% of those breaches costing between $1 million and $2 million USD.
“Cybercrime is one of the world’s most pervasive and costly threats, and our latest Global Threat Landscape Report reveals how malicious actors are beginning to leverage agentic AI to execute more sophisticated attacks,” said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP of Threat Intelligence at Fortinet FortiGuard Labs.
As AI accelerates reconnaissance, weaponization, and execution, Fortinet says time-to-exploit for critical outbreaks is now two to four times faster. Globally, exploitation attempts rose 25.49%, while 49% of Canadian organizations said they struggle to hire cybersecurity talent with AI-specific experience.
The talent gap remains a major challenge. Canadian IT leaders cited a lack of cybersecurity skills as a top cause of breaches, with 53% saying they need senior-level cybersecurity skills most and 40% struggling to get approval for additional cybersecurity talent.
“Cybersecurity is not simply a technical issue but a strategic business risk,” said Fortinet CISO Carl Windsor. “More investment is needed to address key issues, such as emerging AI risks and the ongoing cybersecurity skills shortage.”
Despite the risks, Canadian organizations are moving quickly to adopt AI-powered defences. Fortinet found that 91% of Canadian respondents are using or experimenting with AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, while 85% say those tools are helping IT and security teams become more effective and efficient.
Nearly half of Canadian organizations also expect to invest in AI-related cybersecurity training or certifications over the next 12 months, while 58% are developing internal training or reskilling programs to support AI adoption.
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