NEW ORLEANS – Experian, a global data and analytics firm, has released its 2026 Data Breach Industry Forecast outlining how artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and increasingly sophisticated digital tools are expected to reshape global cybercrime in the coming year.
The report, now in its 13th edition, details emerging threats that could directly affect Louisiana’s public agencies, financial institutions, health systems, and the state’s growing digital and entrepreneurial sectors.
Wave of AI-Enabled Attacks Expected
The new forecast describes six major trends, including synthetic identities, autonomous AI agents, and shape-shifting malware capable of evading traditional defenses. Experian warns that these tools will make cyberattacks “more personalized, persistent, and technologically advanced than ever before.”
“Technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and cybercriminals are often the first to adopt tools like AI to outpace defenses and exploit vulnerabilities,” said Michael Bruemmer, vice president of Global Data Breach Resolution at Experian. “It’s an uphill battle but organizations can also harness these same innovations to strengthen their security posture.”
In the first half of 2025, there were more than 8,000 global data breaches exposing approximately 345 million records, according to the release. The United States, United Kingdom and Canada were the hardest-hit countries among Experian clients.
“We’re entering a new era where cyberattacks are no longer just about stealing data, they’re about manipulating reality,” said Jim Steven, head of Crisis and Data Response Services at Experian Global Data Breach Resolution in the United Kingdom. “Organizations must prepare for threats that are faster, smarter, and harder to detect. The time to act is now.”
Consumer Concerns Growing - Experian Research
Experian’s research shows that U.S. and U.K. consumers are increasingly anxious about cyber threats — especially the use of AI to forge identities.
Key findings include:
- 1 in 4 millennial adults surveyed say they have been victims of identity theft in the past year.
- Nearly a quarter report falling for a phishing attack at home or work.
- More than 4 in 5 are concerned about AI being used to create fake identities.
In the U.S., 35% of adults worry about being held personally liable for monetary loss due to a cybersecurity mistake at work, and 69% do not believe their bank or retailer is adequately prepared to defend against AI-driven attacks.
Implications for Louisiana
Louisiana institutions, including state agencies, universities, port authorities, hospitals and financial-services companies, face similar risks as cyberattacks become more automated and AI-driven.
The state has experienced several significant incidents in recent years. In 2023, the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles was swept into the global MOVEit breach, exposing sensitive data from an estimated 6 million driver’s licenses, IDs and vehicle registrations.
School districts have also been targeted, including a 2024 cyberattack on the Louisiana Special School District that exposed student and employee information, as well as previously reported intrusions involving the St. Landry and St. Mary parish school districts.
The Experian forecast’s emphasis on synthetic identities and autonomous threat actors is particularly relevant to the region’s banking, insurance and retail sectors, many of which already report rising fraud attempts. In 2024, the FBI issued a public-service alert warning seniors about a nationwide “Phantom Hacker” scheme that uses fake tech-support and impersonations of bank officials. The scam reportedly stole more than $1 billion from retirement accounts nationwide since 2024 including some Louisiana victims.
The Experian report also aligns with local authority’s warnings about hurricane-related fraud spikes, utility-impostor scams and seasonal phishing attempts. In 2024, the Louisiana Department of Insurance warned of fraudulent websites posing as hurricane-relief portals following Hurricane Francine, while Entergy reported a surge in post-storm utility-payment scams in which callers claimed power would be disconnected without immediate payment.
Industry Response and Global Context
Experian Data Breach Resolution, the company’s incident-response and crisis-management division that assists organizations in handling data breaches and protecting affected consumers, has responded to more than 69,000 incidents across 100 countries over its 21 years of operation.
The division is expanding its services, including multilingual call centers, identity-protection tools and dark-web monitoring.
It will participate in the Financial Times Cyber Resilience Summit: Europe on Dec. 3 where company leaders will discuss these emerging cyber threats.
This article includes information from Experian’s announcement published via Business Wire. Read the full release here.
The full 2026 Experian report is available as a complimentary download here.
