Rama Krishna Sreepada, co-founder & architect [x] of CUBE LABS, shares a checklist for cloud security in 2026.
A few years ago, most online scams were easy to spot. From emails with broken grammar to cheap-looking websites, the tells were quite a lot. In 2026, that ‘obviousness’ is fading. With AI, it has now become faster and feasible to create convincing messages, cloned voices, fake videos and even fake customer-support chats that sound professional.
As India’s digital adoption has grown rapidly, the attackers are more naturally drawn to scam users. A research published on PIB stated that cybersecurity incidents rose from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024. It also highlighted that over 86% of households are now connected to the internet. When more people are online, the number of targets increases. What changes in 2026 is the quality of deception.
What AI-driven scams and Deepfakes look like?
More than hacking systems, AI-driven scams are about manipulating people. These attackers use AI to sound credible, mimic a trusted person or to tailor the message as per the consumer’s situation.
Deepfakes are also a part in this. Ranging from fake videos to voice clips, they can pop up in frame or form. In India, the government has acknowledged the risk and noted that CERT-In issued an advisory on deepfake threats in November 2024, including measures to stay protected. Ultimately, the only truth of today is that seeing and hearing something is no longer proof that it is real.
Consumers being the primary target
Every attacker tries to find the simplest of targets and a single person is always has a better probability to get scammed than an organization. A single person can be rushed into sharing an OTP, clicking a link or transferring money but an organization cannot be that easily coerced into trusting a lie. Remote work, online banking, UPI, cloud email and WhatsApp-based support have increased convenience, but they also create more places where trust can be exploited.
This is where the essence of cloud accounts come in. Your email account is often the master key for password resets across banking, social media and even workplace systems. If someone takes over your email, it would take mere seconds to reset all your life without even to hack anything.
A practical checklist for 2026, without becoming paranoid
Turn on multi-factor authentication wherever possible, especially for all crucial data and cloud storage. Identity and access shall always be on the forefront of security. Use a verified password manager to avoid reusing passwords across services. Simply reusing is what turns a leak into a destructive chain reaction.
Build verification for urgent requests. The more emotional and time sensitive the message, the more you should pause and think four times before taking any action on it. Families and teams should normalize a simple verification step for any money-related requests. This one habit helps to block a large category of deepfake-driven scammers who rely on urgency and secrecy.
Make sure your devices are clean and up to date. This is not optional anymore. Many attacks succeed because people delay updates or install unknown extensions without scanning for virus or harmful firmware. Avoid sideloading applications. Review permissions and accesses occasionally especially with microphone, camera, SMS and social media apps.
Pay attention to cloud activity. Again a non-negotiable, it is imperative to check logon alerts. Review connected apps and revoke any access you no longer use. Log out of cloud accounts on shared devices. These are small steps but they prevent silent takeovers that can go unnoticed for weeks.
How to spot deepfakes?
You absolutely do not need forensic tools or be a tech expert to catch most of the scams. Look for context mismatch, behavioral recognition for people they are trying to imitate and if it triggers an intuition then trust yourself to make distance and cut the connection immediately. Many deepfake scams fail not on visuals but on logic.
Also watch out for process bypass. A common scam pattern is “Do not follow the normal steps”. For example, “Do not tell anyone”, “Use a different number”, “Send the OTP quickly”, or “This is confidential, your life could be at risk”. That is not how legitimate institutions operate.
What to do if a spam is suspected?
Like stated before, if your gut says it is not right, break the connection immediately. Do not argue and do not continue the conversation to ‘confirm’. Change all your passwords from a safer device. Save all evidence like screenshots, URLs and call details. Report as soon as possible to a relevant platform or bank and file a complaint through official cybercrime channels.
Do not delay because scams today are fast. It is also why national cyber response capacity has become more visible. In a report by PIB, CERT-In’s work stated that in 2025, CERT-In handled over 29.44 lakh cyber incidents and issued a large number of alerts, vulnerability notes and advisories. The ecosystem is building response mechanisms, but consumers still have to act early for those systems to help.
The bigger picture for 2026
Cloud security in 2026 is less about being tech-savvy and more about building a few repeatable habits. AI-driven scams will keep improving and deepfakes will keep getting more believable. The defense, however, does not need to be complex. Strong login protection, quick verification, clean devices, and regular account checks will block most real-word attacks.
The simplest takeaway is one simple advice. Pause, Verify and Protect. If this becomes a routine at home and at work, the new wave of AI-enabled deception will become far less effective.