CyberChess 2026: AI Accelerates Cybersecurity, but Doesn’t Change the Fundamentals

In October, Primend’s cybersecurity team attended CyberChess 2026 in Riga, one of Latvia’s leading cybersecurity events. Throughout the conference, industry practitioners and international experts shared their perspectives on the impact of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity and discussed practical measures organizations can take today to reduce risk and strengthen resilience. 

While AI featured prominently in nearly every presentation, one message consistently emerged across the event: technology is evolving rapidly, but the fundamentals of cybersecurity remain unchanged. Artificial intelligence can help organizations analyse data faster, automate repetitive tasks and improve threat detection, yet it cannot replace well-established security practices that form the foundation of a strong security posture. 

AI Changes the Speed of Execution, Not the Principles

One of the most interesting discussions focused on how AI is transforming the capabilities of both attackers and defenders. Cybercriminals can now automate attacks, create more convincing phishing campaigns and develop malicious content at a scale that would have been impossible only a few years ago. At the same time, security teams are using AI-driven tools to detect anomalies, prioritise threats and respond to incidents more efficiently.

However, speakers repeatedly stressed that no AI solution can compensate for weaknesses in basic cybersecurity controls. Organizations still need to understand what systems and data they have, patch vulnerabilities promptly, manage privileged access carefully and maintain tested backup and recovery procedures. These are the capabilities that continue to make the difference between organizations that recover quickly and those that experience significant disruption. 

Identity Has Become the New Security Perimeter

A recurring theme throughout the conference was the growing importance of identity security. Traditional network boundaries continue to lose relevance as employees work remotely, business applications move to the cloud and systems increasingly communicate through APIs and AI-powered services.

As a result, identity has become one of the most critical elements of modern cybersecurity. Protecting user accounts, managing privileges and controlling access to sensitive resources are now at the centre of many security strategies.

Experts highlighted several priorities for securing modern environments, including the widespread adoption of multi-factor authentication (MFA), the transition toward passwordless authentication methods such as passkeys, stronger privileged access management and improved governance of service accounts and automated AI agents. 

People Remain a Critical Factor

Despite advances in security technologies, many successful attacks still begin with human error. One presentation shared the results of a phishing simulation involving more than 15,000 test emails. A significant number of recipients opened the messages, and roughly one in five entered their credentials. Some users even attempted to re-enter passwords after being shown a warning message. 

These findings reinforce a familiar but important reality: cybersecurity is not solely a technology challenge. Security depends just as much on awareness, decision-making and organisational culture as it does on technical controls. Regular phishing simulations, security awareness training, strong authentication practices and clearly defined procedures remain essential components of an effective security programme. 

“Please. Do. The. Basics.”

Perhaps the most memorable slide of the day was also the simplest. It displayed a single message:

Please. Do. The. Basics.

That statement captured the central theme of the entire conference. Many organizations are eager to explore new technologies, implement AI initiatives and invest in innovation. Yet fundamental security measures are often overlooked. Multi-factor authentication may not be fully deployed, backups may not be regularly tested, critical patches may be delayed, and monitoring capabilities may remain limited.

The reality is that these seemingly basic controls continue to prevent a large percentage of cyberattacks. Organizations that consistently execute the fundamentals are often significantly better protected than those chasing the latest trends while neglecting core security practices.

Key Takeaways from CyberChess 2026

The conference reinforced a straightforward but important message: effective cybersecurity does not start with artificial intelligence. It starts with visibility, governance and operational discipline.

Organizations should be able to clearly answer a few fundamental questions:

• Do we know exactly what systems, devices and services we operate?
• Is multi-factor authentication enabled for all users?
• How quickly do we address critical vulnerabilities?
• Are our backups tested and recoverable?
• Can we detect and respond to suspicious activity before it becomes a major incident?

AI will undoubtedly continue to transform the cybersecurity landscape and accelerate many security processes. However, organisations that neglect the basics will remain vulnerable regardless of how advanced their technology stack becomes.

CyberChess 2026 delivered a clear conclusion: artificial intelligence may accelerate cybersecurity implementation, but it does not replace the fundamentals that keep organisations secure.

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