Cybersecurity marketing lessons from International Cyber Expo 2026

By Piers Grassmann, Aspectus Group

International Cyber Expo 2026 revealed four lessons for cybersecurity marketing teams: differentiate supply chain security solutions, focus AI messaging on practical benefits, simplify complex offerings, and support claims with credible evidence. Discover how clearer positioning and stronger proof points can help cybersecurity brands stand out. 

Attending the 2026 International Cyber Expo at Olympia London gave me a chance to see how cybersecurity firms are communicating their value. 

Supply chain security firms had a strong presence, while AI messaging felt quieter. Across the conversations I had, specific problems and practical customer benefits stood out. 

How can these themes inform cybersecurity marketing strategies? Here are my four takeaways. 

Supply chain security stood out, but firms need to explain where they fit 

Supply chain security firms had a big presence at International Cyber Expo. Companies including Risk Ledger and Cairnlytics stood out on the show floor, putting risks across suppliers and third parties firmly in the spotlight. 

For marketing teams, the challenge is making your particular offer clear. ‘Supply chain security’ covers a lot of ground.  

Buyers need to know what problem you solve, who you help and where you fit into their wider security approach. That starts with audience insight and clear positioning: understanding who you need to reach and what matters to them. 

If your product gives customers better visibility into supplier risk, explain what they can do with that information. Can they spot weaknesses earlier, allowing them to prioritize assessments or make more informed decisions about suppliers? Those are useful starting points for a story. 

The takeaway: don’t expect the category label to do all the work. Use a clear example to show how your solution helps, then back it up with evidence. When plenty of firms are talking about supply chain security, buyers need a reason to remember yours. 

AI was quieter. Is the hype settling down? 

AI felt less front and centre in the communications I encountered at International Cyber Expo compared to Infosecurity Europe in June. It still featured, but there seemed to be less emphasis on the label itself and more on what products could actually do. 

That could point to a cooling of the hype. After so much attention on AI, simply describing a product as “AI-powered” gives buyers little to go on. The useful questions are more specific: what does it help them do, how does it work and what evidence supports the claim? 

Quieter messaging doesn’t necessarily mean firms are using AI less. It may mean they’re becoming more selective about how they talk about it, giving the customer benefit more space in the story. 

For marketing teams, this is a good prompt to review your own AI language. If it helps analysts prioritize alerts or speeds up a particular task, then explain that clearly and back it up. AI can still be a valuable part of your proposition, but the label needs to earn its place.  

An AI messaging audit can help you check whether your claims are clear, relevant and supported. 

Make a complex offer easy to understand 

On a busy show floor, buyers have plenty of companies competing for their attention. Your message needs to give them a quick, clear reason to stop and find out more. 

That starts with explaining three things: who you help, what problem you solve and why your approach matters. Broad claims about innovation or better protection leave buyers to work out the details themselves. A specific use case gives them something they can recognize and relate to their own business. 

A conversation with Kaseya brought this home. Its team described the offer to me as essentially an “MSP in a box”: a platform giving managed service providers the tools to manage, secure and support their customers’ IT environments. The shorthand made a broad offer easy to grasp. 

For marketing teams, try a simple check: ask someone outside your business to read your homepage or company description and explain the offer back to you. If they struggle, you’ve got a useful starting point for tightening the message. 

Give your claims something concrete to stand on 

Clear messaging gets people interested. Evidence gives them a reason to take it seriously. A demonstration, customer example or piece of research can make a product’s value much easier to grasp. 

If you claim that businesses lack visibility into supplier risk, research could help show where the gaps are. If your solution saves security teams time, a customer case study could explain how much time it saves, and on which tasks. The evidence should support the specific claim you’re making. 

The same principle applies to PR and communications. Research with a clear methodology, results with context and experts who can explain the findings give journalists more to work with. 

For marketing teams, look at your main claims and ask what supports each one. Then bring that evidence into your business through assets like content, sales materials, media pitches, and much more. 

Make the message count 

From the strong supply chain security presence to the quieter AI messaging, my visit to International Cyber Expo reinforced the value of clear, practical communications. 

For marketing teams, that means explaining the problem you solve before showing why it matters and, crucially, backing your claims with evidence. These are useful checks to take back to your own messaging—and a strong starting point for giving buyers and journalists a reason to pay attention. 

Find out how we help cybersecurity brands sharpen their positioning, marketing and PR. 

Key takeaways 

What can cybersecurity marketing teams learn from International Cyber Expo 2026? 

The event highlighted the importance of clear positioning, practical customer benefits, and credible evidence. Cybersecurity brands should focus on explaining the specific problems they solve rather than relying on broad category descriptions or technical claims. 

How can supply chain security companies differentiate their messaging? 

Supply chain security companies should clearly explain where their solutions fit, who they help, and what customers can achieve. Specific use cases, such as identifying supplier vulnerabilities or prioritizing risk assessments, make their value easier to understand. 

How should cybersecurity companies communicate their AI capabilities? 

Marketing teams should move beyond generic “AI-powered” claims and explain what AI enables customers to do. Practical benefits, such as faster alert prioritization, should be supported by evidence that demonstrates their value. 

How can cybersecurity brands simplify complex product messaging? 

Start by identifying the target audience, the problem being solved, and the benefit of the solution. Clear examples, accessible language, and memorable descriptions help buyers understand complex offerings more quickly. 

Why is evidence important in cybersecurity marketing and PR? 

Evidence builds credibility and gives buyers and journalists a reason to trust a company’s claims. Customer case studies, product demonstrations, and research with clear methodologies can turn broad marketing promises into convincing, useful stories. 

About the author

Piers Grassmann, based in our London office, has been working with leading technology, cloud and cybersecurity clients since 2019, supporting brands across AI, infrastructure and cyber resilience.