WatchGuard Report

Cyber Trust Index 2026

Trust Is Rising. Verification Isn’t.

The inaugural WatchGuard Cyber Trust Index examines how employees evaluate, trust, and verify digital communications in an era of AI-generated content, deepfakes, and impersonation attacks.

The Challenge of Trust in the AI Era

Findings show that familiarity continues to influence behavior, verification habits remain inconsistent, and organizations face growing challenges as AI makes trusted signals easier to imitate.

55%

55% don’t always verify sensitive requests

72%

72% clicked a link because it seemed to come from someone they knew

42%

42% would trust an urgent CEO text without verifying

54%

54% have encountered an AI scam, deepfake or impersonation attempt

Download the Report to Learn

  • How employee trust in digital communications is changing
  • Which trust signals people rely on most
  • Why familiarity remains a powerful cybersecurity risk
  • How employees respond to AI-generated content and deepfakes
  • Where verification habits break down
  • How trust and preparedness differ across countries and industries

Get the Report ▼

This form requires the Marketo script to function properly.

Thank you for your interest in the WatchGuard Cyber Trust Index 2026

Learn how employees evaluate digital communications, respond to impersonation threats, and verify information in an era of AI-generated content and deepfakes.

​