Telco Strategies for Consumer Security 2026

As consumer cyber threats continue to evolve – from industrialized scam operations to large-scale abuse of IoT devices – telecom operators are increasingly expected to play a more active role in protecting households at the network level.

Telco Strategies for Consumer Security 2026 is HardenStance’s third annual global study examining how operators worldwide are approaching consumer security, where investment is accelerating, and which models are emerging as most effective.

HardenStance estimates that telco spending on consumer security reached $441M in 2025, yet still represents less than 5 cents per person globally – underscoring both the scale of the threat and the gap in protection.

Based on extensive vendor interviews and market analysis, the report explores:

• How scams, botnets, and DNS abuse are reshaping the consumer threat landscape
• Where telcos are investing across endpoint security, network-based security, and home router protection
• Why network-level security is gaining momentum as a scalable, baseline defense
• The growing role of device intelligence and home gateways in protecting connected households
• How future consumer security strategies may evolve toward more integrated, user-centric architectures

The report shows accelerating momentum behind network-based and home router security, driven by the need for scalable, opt-out protection that does not rely on consumer behavior. CUJO AI is referenced for its role in delivering device intelligence and security capabilities deployed at scale within operator networks.

This report is intended for telecom executives, security leaders, and product teams seeking a data-driven view of where consumer security is heading – and how network-level approaches can complement existing protections.