As we mark the end of the first half of the year, we are showcasing our most popular articles published in 2026 thus far and highlighting the thought leadership and insights provided by our contributors. These are experts in the field who willingly shared their experiences and knowledge with the Cyber Security Tribe community.
Our six most popular articles cover the following topics:
- Shadow AI agents, agentic AI governance, non-human identities, visibility and control
- Why compliance alone is not enough, risk-based governance, business ownership and resilience
- Fusion centers, intelligence sharing, cross-functional security operations and enterprise resilience
- VPN limitations, exposed credentials, dark web risks, session tokens and identity protection
- Closing the Execution Gap in AI-Driven Security: Faster remediation, AI-driven security operations, automation, context and accountability
- AI policy strictness, governance, risk controls, monitoring and balancing security with usability
Most Popular Articles of H1 2026
Below we list the 6 most popular articles on Cyber Security Tribe during H1 2026, listed in order of publication:
Why VPN Users Are Prime Targets Without Dark Web Monitoring
In this article Dr Luis O. Noguerol states how a VPN creates a “secure tunnel” for your internet traffic, but it leaves an extensive public trail of identifiable data that renders heavy users uniquely vulnerable. He goes on to say, “even though VPNs are better than nothing, this technology is far from secure, not even close to what most people believe”. He informs readers how VPNs should be treated as one part of a layered security and privacy approach, supported by credential hygiene, token revocation, account monitoring, and stronger identity controls.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/why-vpn-users-are-prime-targets-without-dark-web-monitoring
Rise of Shadow Agents: How Unseen AI Workers Reshape Your Security
Sumeet Jeswani explores the rise of “Shadow Agents,” described as unseen AI workers being introduced into everyday business workflows without formal approval or oversight. He provides readers practical takeaways, such as how agentic AI adoption should be managed through secure, sanctioned routes that let innovation to continue with stronger oversight.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/unseen-ai-agents-revolutionizing-security-in-the-digital-era
Why Compliance-Driven Cybersecurity Governance Fails
Mohammed Nayeem argues that many cybersecurity governance programs look effective on paper, with policies approved, frameworks mapped, risk registers maintained, and audits passed. However, he explains why compliance does not always translate into real-world resilience, because attackers exploit operational weaknesses rather than audit gaps.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/why-compliance-driven-cybersecurity-governance-fails
Mastercard’s Fusion Center Model: A Conversation with Michelle McCluer
Here we interviewed Michelle McCluer at Mastercard about their Global Fusion and Intelligence program as a model for bringing intelligence, operations, technology, fraud, and business strategy into one coordinated capability. The article provides several key lessons for security leaders looking to go beyond siloed operations and toward a more intelligence driven model.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/mastercards-fusion-center-model-a-conversation-with-michelle-mccluer
How Strict Should AI Policies Be?
How strict should AI policies be within an organization? Doug Mayer digs into the topic using findings from the 2026 Cyber Security Tribe annual report and provides clarity for those looking create enterprise level AI policies.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/how-strict-should-ai-policies-be
Closing the Execution Gap in AI-Driven Security
Yonesy Núñez discusses the execution gap between identifying a security issue and resolving it quickly enough to reduce real risk. He explains that security teams have improved detection, but many still struggle to act on alerts, remediation recommendations, identity exceptions, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities.
https://www.cybersecuritytribe.com/articles/closing-the-execution-gap-in-ai-driven-security
If you are a cyber security practitioner willing to share your experience in cybersecurity with our community in the form of an article, please get in touch with us here.
