It is mid-December. The 2026 budget decisions are on the table.

Following a 2025 marked by numerous cybersecurity breaches and increasing regulatory pressure (NIS2/DORA), one thing is clear: it is time for companies to regain control over their remote access. It is costly, slow, and paradoxically, it creates friction that users bypass.

For 2026, the challenge is not to buy a new tool or add yet another third-party security layer, but to clean up the access architecture. Here is a checklist of 10 concrete decisions to move away from remote “patchwork” and towards a modern cybersecurity posture.

1. Decide the Fate of the VPN

The VPN must no longer be the default access mode. Extending the corporate network into the employee’s living room is a security aberration in 2026.

• The Action: Switch from a network connectivity logic (VPN) to an application projection logic (Pixel Gap).
• The Goal: Write into the roadmap that no new critical usage will be deployed via VPN this year.

2. Isolate the Windows 10 “Time Bomb”

Two months after the end of Windows 10 support, the reality is stark: you still have machines (Production, Graphic Stations, Industrial PCs) that you cannot migrate.

• The Action: Stop trying to “patch” them. Treat them as compromised/hostile. Cut them off from the Internet, isolate them in an airtight VLAN, and provide access solely via browser-based display streaming.
• The Gain: You transform a critical vulnerability into a harmless video stream.

3. Map “Truly” Critical Access

If a user’s PC breaks, does business come to a halt?

• The Action: Identify the top 20 vital user journeys.
• The Goal: For these profiles, dependency on the local endpoint must be zero. They must be able to connect from any browser on a secure remote machine. This is your “Business Continuity Assurance.”

4. Make the Browser the Only Trusted “Endpoint”

The physical workstation has become unmanageable. The browser is the new standard.

• The Action: Standardize access where the browser serves as the universal terminal.
• The Gain: No more complex fleet management for contractors or BYOD. If there is a browser, work is possible, without data ever leaving your datacenter.

5. Declare War on “Agent Debt”

VPN + Antivirus + EDR + DLP + UEM… Your computers are brought to their knees. And a lagging PC is a PC where users disable security.

• The Action: Adopt an “Agentless” approach for remote access.
• The Goal: Offload the compute and security burden to the infrastructure, not the user’s device. Performance is a security feature.

6. Anchor NIS2 and DORA in the Architecture (Not Just on Paper)

Compliance isn’t signed; it’s proven.

• The Action: Prioritize “Modern Bastion” architectures or streaming with strong protocols.
• The Gain: Traceability is native. Instead of chasing logs across 5,000 scattered PCs, you audit a single, centralized entry point. The first compliance brick is laid.

7. Lock Down AI “Data Gravity”

In 2026, your teams will handle massive datasets for local AI.

• The Action: Never let this data descend via a VPN tunnel. It is slow and risky.
• The Goal: Bring the user to the data, not the reverse. Keep the data next to the GPU in the cloud/datacenter, and stream only the result pixels. Zero data leaks possible.

8. Secure the Supply Chain (Contractors)

Your suppliers are often your most fragile entry point.

• The Action: Stop shipping them corporate PCs or opening VPNs.
• The Goal: Provide them “Just-in-Time,” least-privilege access via browser. They work, they disconnect, nothing remains.

9. Integrate UX as a Security KPI

Friction is the enemy of security. If connecting takes 2 minutes and 4 clicks, it is a failure.

• The Action: Test your own remote access. Aim for the “Netflix” experience: I click, it works immediately.
• The Gain: Natural adoption of security standards, without coercion.

10. Institute the “Remote Access Review”

• The Action: Create an annual ritual dedicated exclusively to access architecture.
• The KPI to Follow: The percentage of critical accesses switched to “Zero Trust / Browser-based” mode vs. those still dependent on a heavy VPN client.

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Final Thoughts 2026 shouldn’t be the year we secure more, but the year we secure better. By replacing network complexity with the simplicity of application access, you don’t just reduce risk: you restore velocity to your teams. Less VPN, fewer agents, more performance. That is the true resolution for 2026.