February 2026 Intelligence Update

Critical Path Security is introducing a new initiative designed to provide clearer visibility into the evolving cyber and physical threat landscape affecting critical infrastructure, enterprise networks, and operational technology environments.

Our Monthly Threat Brief will highlight the most relevant geopolitical developments, emerging vulnerabilities, adversary activity, and operational security considerations observed by our team. The goal is simple: give defenders a practical understanding of where the threat landscape is moving so they can act early.

This February 2026 briefing is the first in the series and reflects several themes that security leaders should be paying close attention to.

Readers can view the full briefing here: Monthly Threat Brief

Geopolitical Conflict Is Increasing Cyber Risk

Escalating tensions in the Middle East have raised concerns about retaliatory cyber operations and broader disruption targeting infrastructure and strategic industries.

Recent developments included sustained military strikes across the region, targeting strategic assets and energy infrastructure. Drone attacks against refining and liquified natural gas facilities, as well as disruptions affecting global energy supply routes, illustrate how geopolitical conflict can rapidly affect operational stability and the global economy.

Historically, cyber operations tied to geopolitical conflict often involve:

• network intrusions targeting government and energy sector organizations

• reconnaissance against critical infrastructure systems

• ransomware or destructive malware used as retaliation

• hacktivist activity attempting to disrupt public-facing systems

While there is no indication of direct attacks against North American infrastructure at this time, the combination of geopolitical volatility and cyber operations requires continued vigilance.

Iranian Cyber Activity Remains a Strategic Concern

Threat actors linked to Iranian intelligence operations have historically targeted telecommunications providers, energy companies, government networks, and private-sector organizations across multiple regions.

Recent intelligence suggests activity associated with groups operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence services has been observed targeting organizations using credential theft, phishing campaigns, and exploitation of exposed infrastructure.

These actors frequently rely on:

• compromised VPN appliances

• credential harvesting and password spraying

• web shell deployment and persistence mechanisms

• dual-use tools that blend legitimate administration utilities with malicious activity

Organizations operating in infrastructure sectors should assume these actors are actively conducting reconnaissance against accessible services and exposed systems.

Edge Infrastructure Is Becoming a Primary Entry Point

Across multiple investigations and threat intelligence reports this month, one pattern continues to emerge: attackers increasingly focus on edge infrastructure and externally exposed platforms.

Networking appliances, SD-WAN platforms, and remote access systems are attractive targets because they often provide:

• broad access across enterprise networks

• persistent control points

• limited visibility for traditional endpoint monitoring

Recent advisories have highlighted active exploitation attempts against SD-WAN infrastructure and other edge networking devices.

Security teams should treat these systems as high-value security boundaries and ensure they receive the same level of monitoring and patch management as core servers and endpoints.

Supply Chain Exposure Continues to Expand

Another notable trend observed this month is the continued expansion of supply-chain risk.

Recent incidents demonstrated how attackers can compromise vendor infrastructure and leverage that access to redirect or target partner organizations. In one example, attackers compromised a vendor’s website to redirect traffic and potentially distribute malicious content.

These attacks illustrate a key reality of modern cybersecurity: the attack surface often extends well beyond the organization’s own network.

Organizations should maintain visibility into:

• third-party vendors with network or application access

• website content management systems and plugins

• vendor security notification procedures

• authentication and administrative controls used by partners

Artificial Intelligence Is Accelerating Attack Development

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to accelerate various phases of cyber operations.

Reports have indicated that threat actors are leveraging generative AI tools to assist with tasks such as:

• generating phishing content

• writing scripts used in intrusion workflows

• automating reconnaissance activities

• translating or adapting attack content across languages

While AI does not fundamentally change attacker capabilities, it reduces the time required to develop and execute campaigns, increasing operational speed across the threat landscape.

Defenders must respond by shortening detection and response timelines.

Physical Security and Cybersecurity Are Converging

Events this month also highlight how physical and cyber risks increasingly intersect.

Incidents involving power infrastructure and other operational environments demonstrate that attackers may target facilities directly or combine cyber intrusion with physical disruption.

Organizations responsible for operational technology or infrastructure environments should ensure incident response planning includes both cyber and physical scenarios.

Resilience planning should address:

• facility monitoring and physical access controls

• after-hours response procedures

• coordination between cyber and operational teams

• contingency planning for operational disruptions

Strategic Takeaways for Security Leaders

Several consistent themes emerge from this month’s intelligence.

First, geopolitical conflict continues to influence cyber activity, especially in sectors tied to infrastructure, energy, and government operations.

Second, edge infrastructure and externally exposed services are becoming primary access points for attackers.

Third, third-party ecosystems and vendor relationships remain a growing source of risk exposure.

Finally, automation and AI are accelerating how quickly adversaries can move from reconnaissance to execution.

Security teams should prioritize improvements in monitoring, detection, and response speed while ensuring resilience planning accounts for both cyber and physical disruptions.

Looking Ahead

The threat landscape is evolving faster than ever. Organizations that rely solely on reactive security controls will increasingly struggle to keep pace.

Critical Path Security created this Monthly Threat Brief to provide defenders with context, clarity, and actionable intelligence as conditions change.

Future briefings will continue to highlight emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and operational risks that security leaders should be monitoring.

For organizations seeking assistance strengthening their defensive posture, Critical Path Security provides managed detection and response, threat intelligence, and operational security services across enterprise and operational technology environments.