Gen Threat Labs Calls it "The Year the Internet Outgrows Human Intuition"

Rhea-AI Summary

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) published its 2026 Cybersecurity Predictions, forecasting that AI will outpace human intuition and reshape trust, identity, and online truth.

Key themes include synthetic identities and deepfakes enabling real-time impersonation, an AI feedback loop degrading content accuracy, emotionally adaptive scams, and the browser becoming the primary attack surface with in‑page malware and AI‑driven malvertising. The release offers consumer tips: verify via second channels, apply a two‑source rule for important claims, watch emotional red flags, protect ID sharing, use passkeys/2FA, and prefer safe‑by‑design browsers like Norton Neo.

Market Reality Check

$27.53 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,599,145 is below the 4,970,568 20-day average (relative volume 0.72x). normal

Technical Shares at $26.84 are trading below the $28.01 200-day moving average and 16.68% under the 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

GEN slipped 0.92% with mixed peer moves: FFIV -0.18%, CHKP -0.89%, GDDY -0.66%, KSPI -2.53%, while OKTA rose 1.52%, suggesting stock-specific trading rather than a broad sector move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 05	Promotional campaign	Positive	+0.4%	Holiday Heist Giveaway aimed at customer engagement and financial relief.
Dec 04	Conference appearance	Positive	+0.4%	CEO and CFO presenting at Barclays Global Technology Conference.
Dec 02	Product launch	Positive	-0.1%	Global free release of Norton Neo AI-native browser with safety features.
Dec 01	Education campaign	Positive	-0.3%	Avast animated YouTube series teaching holiday scam awareness.
Nov 12	Product expansion	Positive	-0.5%	Launch of Avast Scam Guardian and Pro for mobile scam protection.

Pattern Detected

Recent product and marketing announcements, including AI and scam-protection launches, often saw flat to slightly negative next-day price moves, indicating subdued reactions to promotional news.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, GEN has highlighted marketing and product initiatives across its brands. Avast’s holiday "Scam-mas" campaign and Gen Threat Labs’ scam data underscored seasonal fraud risks. Norton Neo’s global free release on Dec 2, 2025 extended the AI-native browser push, while Avast’s mobile Scam Guardian launch on Nov 12, 2025 broadened AI scam defense. A Barclays conference appearance was also announced. These updates, like today’s 2026 threat predictions, emphasize AI-driven safety themes but have produced modest share-price reactions, with several slight declines despite constructive narratives.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement outlines Gen Threat Labs’ 2026 cybersecurity predictions, emphasizing AI-driven deepfakes, synthetic identities, emotional manipulation, and browser-based attacks. It reinforces GEN’s strategic focus on cyber safety across browsers and devices rather than introducing new financial metrics. In context of recent AI browser and scam-defense launches, it extends the same narrative. Investors may watch how these themes translate into adoption of products like Norton Neo and scam-protection tools, alongside future earnings and regulatory disclosures.

Key Terms

deepfakes technical

"Deepfakes will move from videos into real-time calls and live interactions"

Deepfakes are audio, video or image content created or altered by artificial intelligence to make people appear to say, do, or be somewhere they did not. They matter to investors because a convincing fake can trigger sudden market moves, enable fraud, manipulate sentiment, or harm a company’s reputation—similar to a counterfeit document or forged signature sparking real financial consequences and regulatory scrutiny.

malvertising technical

"AI-generated malvertising, fake storefronts, poisoned pop-ups, and session token theft"

Malvertising is the practice of placing malicious code inside online advertisements so that clicking or even just viewing an ad can install malware, redirect users to harmful sites, or steal data. For investors it matters because malvertising can damage a company’s reputation, reduce user traffic and ad revenue, expose the business to regulatory fines or lawsuits, and increase cybersecurity costs — like finding out a store’s window display is secretly scaring customers away.

session token technical

"poisoned pop-ups, and session token theft will dominate online crime"

A session token is a short-lived digital key a website or app gives a user after they log in to keep them recognized without asking for a password each time. For investors, session tokens matter because they control who can access accounts and sensitive systems; if mishandled they can enable unauthorized trades, data breaches or service outages that harm revenue, reputation and regulatory standing.

two-factor authentication technical

"Use passkeys or two-factor authentication for important accounts"

A security method that requires two different proofs of identity before granting access to an account or system — typically something you know (like a password) plus something you have (like a code on your phone) or something you are (like a fingerprint). For investors it matters because it greatly reduces the chance of unauthorized trades, account theft or data breaches, helping protect portfolio value and a company’s reputation.

passkeys technical

"Use passkeys or two-factor authentication for important accounts"

A passkey is a modern digital login method that replaces passwords with a pair of cryptographic keys stored on a user’s device and backed by biometric checks (like fingerprints or face unlock) or a device PIN. Think of it as a unique physical key kept in your phone’s secure vault that opens only the right account; it greatly cuts the risk of account hacks, reduces help‑desk and fraud costs, and can boost customer trust and retention—factors that affect a company’s security expenses and revenue stability.

AI-native browser technical

"Select safe-by-design browsers, such as the new Norton Neo, built with AI-driven protection"

An ai-native browser is a web browser built from the ground up to integrate artificial intelligence features—like summarizing pages, generating searches, composing replies, and automating tasks—directly into the user interface rather than as add-on plugins. For investors it matters because these browsers can change how people find and consume content, creating new revenue paths, shifting traffic and advertising patterns, and introducing data-privacy or regulatory risks that can affect a company's growth and valuation.

sentiment analysis technical

"With real-time sentiment analysis, AI will sense fear, hesitation, guilt, or excitement"

Sentiment analysis uses computer tools to read news, social media, analyst reports and other text to gauge whether the overall tone is positive, negative or neutral. Think of it as a thermometer for public mood: it turns words into a score that helps investors spot rising excitement or growing worry before those feelings show up in prices. Traders and analysts use these scores to anticipate demand, manage risk and time trades more effectively.

scam detection tools technical

"Then run the message through trusted scam detection tools like Norton AI Scam Assistant"

Scam detection tools are software and services that scan news, filings, websites and communications to spot signs of fraud, false claims or market manipulation before you act on them. They work like a smoke detector or security guard for investments, flagging suspicious patterns (fake documents, sudden hype, inconsistent facts) so investors can avoid losses and preserve trust in the market.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Gen Reveals Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026

TEMPE, Ariz., and PRAGUE, Dec. 9, 2025  /PRNewswire/ -- Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its family of Cyber Safety brands, today unveiled its 2026 Cybersecurity Predictions, forecasting a year defined by blurred realities, synthetic identities, emotional manipulation at scale, and a browser environment that becomes the primary battleground for everyday digital life.

According to Gen Threat Labs, 2026 marks the moment when the internet will evolve faster than human intuition can keep up. AI will not simply accelerate digital experiences – it will reshape trust, how we view identity, and truth itself. What was once fringe becomes normal. What was once obvious becomes ambiguous. And what once relied on human instinct will demand verification, skepticism, and new digital reflexes that most people have never been taught.

"Cybercriminals are no longer adapting to technology – they're directing it," said Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO at Gen. "From identity to emotion to the browser itself, every corner of the internet is becoming a contested space. Our goal is to prepare people for the reality ahead and empower them with the habits and tools that can keep them safe."

Gen's 2026 predictions outline five seismic shifts reshaping digital life:

1. The Year Humans Need to Be Verified
   Deception will leave the screen and enter daily life as AI makes it possible to clone a person's face, voice, and writing style in seconds. Synthetic personas – friends, colleagues, influencers, even romantic partners – will emerge with shocking realism.
   Deepfakes will move from videos into real-time calls and live interactions, turning trust into a liability and making human verification the new safety reflex.
   Consumer Tip: Pause, then verify. Use a second channel to confirm sensitive requests. Hang up and call known numbers. Set family safe words. If visuals or audio look slightly "off," stop before you act.
   
   
2. The AI Feedback Loop Distorts Online Truth 
   In 2026, the internet will enter an AI-driven distortion cycle. Machine-generated content gets scraped, summarized, and republished by other AIs, degrading accuracy and creating a flood of synthetic noise.
   To counter this, tech and media organizations will begin deploying authenticity markers and content-signing frameworks, though adoption will lag behind the surge of misinformation.
   Consumer Tip: Apply a "two-source rule." Verify important claims through a credible, independent source. For finance, health, or safety topics, go directly to official websites rather than reshared posts or summaries.
   
   
3. The Scam Industry Evolves into Emotional Engineering 
   Scams will transform from generic scripts into adaptive emotional engines. With real-time sentiment analysis, AI will sense fear, hesitation, guilt, or excitement – and tailor responses instantly.
   This new era of "empathetic scams" will mirror human connection to manipulate more effectively than ever before, requiring people to notice emotional red flags, not just technical ones.
   Consumer Tip: When a message sparks a strong emotion, name it. That breaks the illusion of intimacy scammers rely on. Then run the message through trusted scam detection tools like Norton AI Scam Assistant or Avast Scam Guardian.
   
   
4. Synthetic Identities Trigger a Collapse in Digital Trust 
   AI will now generate entire identity kits – realistic IDs, bills, selfies, and even live video – that pass most basic verification checks. Criminals will use these fabricated personas to secure loans, open accounts, and commit cross-platform fraud at scale.
   As "identity fusion" attacks expand across financial, tax, wallet, and service ecosystems, static credentials will no longer be enough.
   Consumer Tip: Share ID documents only through verified websites or apps you navigate to directly. Enable transaction alerts or credit freezes and avoid sending credentials through unsolicited links.
   
   
5. The Browser Becomes Ground Zero for Deception 
   The browser has become the most heavily targeted environment in 2025, and this trend will expand in 2026. AI-generated malvertising, fake storefronts, poisoned pop-ups, and session token theft will dominate online crime. Clicking what appears to be a bank or retailer link may lead to an AI-generated clone designed to steal payment details or login credentials.
   Malware increasingly lives inside the page itself, not in downloads, making it harder for even cautious users to detect.
   Consumer Tip: Use passkeys or two-factor authentication for important accounts and review your active sessions regularly. Shop through trusted retailers, look for real contact details, and avoid buying through ads or sponsored results. Select safe-by-design browsers, such as the new Norton Neo, built with AI-driven protection at its core.

To learn more about Gen's 2026 Predictions, read the 2026 Predictions Blog.  

About Gen 

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to millions of people in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com. 

About the Gen Threat Labs 

Gen Threat Labs is the Cyber Safety research team within Gen, focused on uncovering and analyzing the latest digital threats and scams worldwide. Rooted in data, research, and technical expertise, the team identifies patterns and risks that shape the evolving cyber landscape. Their insights power the security technologies that protect people across Gen's portfolio of trusted brands, including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, and others. 

Brittany Posey	Courtney Rowles
Gen	Edelman for Gen
Press@GenDigital.com	Courtney.Rowles@edelman.com

 

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SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.

FAQ

What did Gen (GEN) predict for cybersecurity in 2026?

Gen predicts AI will outpace human intuition, driving synthetic identities, AI‑amplified misinformation, emotion‑targeted scams, and browsers becoming the primary attack surface.

How does Gen say synthetic identities will affect users in 2026 (GEN)?

Gen warns AI will create full identity kits—IDs, bills, selfies, live video—that pass basic checks and enable large‑scale fraud across platforms.

What consumer steps does Gen recommend to counter deepfakes and impersonation (GEN)?

Gen recommends pausing to verify via a second channel, using safe words, calling known numbers, and not acting on suspicious audio/visual cues.

Why does Gen say the browser will be 'ground zero' for attacks in 2026 (GEN)?

Gen cites AI‑generated malvertising, fake storefronts, poisoned pop‑ups, and in‑page malware that can steal session tokens and credentials.

What advice does Gen give for protecting accounts and payments in 2026 (GEN)?

Gen suggests using passkeys or two‑factor authentication, reviewing active sessions, avoiding purchases from ads, and shopping through trusted retailers.

Does Gen recommend specific products or tools to detect scams in 2026 (GEN)?

Gen suggests using trusted scam detection tools and cites examples like Norton AI Scam Assistant and Avast Scam Guardian as mitigation aids.