Cyber threats have grown more sophisticated and operationally disruptive, with AI-assisted social engineering, automated attack frameworks, and supply chain compromise emerging as defining trends for the year ahead, according to the 2026 Transportation Industry Cybersecurity Trends Report, released by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA).
“Throughout 2025, transportation organizations saw more concrete examples of how cyber risks can intersect with operational systems,” says Joe Ohr, chief operating officer for NMFTA. “That visibility has created an opportunity for the industry to take a more proactive and informed approach to cybersecurity.”
“The 2026 trends report does more than document risk; it equips industry leaders with the strategic foresight and practical context needed to safeguard their operations in an era where digital compromise is often the prelude to physical loss,” adds Artie Crawford, director of cybersecurity for NMFTA.
Key takeaways:
· The dynamics illustrate a threat landscape that no longer affects only back-office systems, but also physical operations and cargo integrity.
- The report highlighted trends such as AI-augmented attack vectors that evade traditional defenses and accelerate compromise; automated attack orchestration that outpaces manual detection and response; weaponization of legitimate access tools and APIs, expanding threat entry points; supply chain trust exploitation through third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) and integration dependencies; and regulatory shifts influencing operational accountability and compliance planning.
