diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 9d9b1b5a3..cff16eaae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: Set up Helm
         uses: azure/setup-helm@dda3372f752e03dde6b3237bc9431cdc2f7a02a2 # v5.0.0
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        go-version: ["1.25","1.26"]
+        go-version: ["1.25", "1.26"]
     steps:
       - name: checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
index c54592b5c..bdb355214 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: run codegen
         run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make codegen
diff --git a/.github/workflows/crds-gen.yml b/.github/workflows/crds-gen.yml
index 23561d6c2..f95ab8e0e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/crds-gen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/crds-gen.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: run crds-gen
         run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make crds
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-check.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-check.yml
index f9fcf91ee..c8587ac8f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-check.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@a309ff8b426b58ec0e2a45f0f869d46889d02405 # v6.2.0
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yaml b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yaml
index 76957fc17..c010314d1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yaml
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
       - name: golangci-lint
         uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@1e7e51e771db61008b38414a730f564565cf7c20 # v9.2.0
         with:
-          version: v2.6.2
+          version: v2.12.2
           # actions/setup-go already handles caching
           skip-cache: true
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
           check-latest: true
       - name: govulncheck
         uses: golang/govulncheck-action@b625fbe08f3bccbe446d94fbf87fcc875a4f50ee # v1.0.4
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
       - name: kube-api-lint
         run: |
           # --new: show only new issues introduced in the PR, ignoring existing issues
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration-test-setup-cluster-resources/action.yaml b/.github/workflows/integration-test-setup-cluster-resources/action.yaml
index 20ad4f7b4..e52c23bac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration-test-setup-cluster-resources/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration-test-setup-cluster-resources/action.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ runs:
     - name: setup golang
       uses: actions/setup-go@44694675825211faa026b3c33043df3e48a5fa00 # v6.0.0
       with:
-        go-version: "1.25"
+        go-version: "1.26"
 
     - name: Install cri-dockerd
       shell: bash --noprofile --norc -eo pipefail -x {0}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml b/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml
index 8c4f741cb..19073c12e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: run mod check
         run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make -j $(nproc) mod.check
diff --git a/.github/workflows/multus.yaml b/.github/workflows/multus.yaml
index 1c0b90893..6552be4cb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/multus.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/multus.yaml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go version
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: Create KinD Cluster
         uses: helm/kind-action@ef37e7f390d99f746eb8b610417061a60e82a6cc # v1.14.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/push-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/push-build.yaml
index e34933ec1..8f0d720ff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push-build.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
         # docker/setup-qemu action installs QEMU static binaries, which are used to run builders for architectures other than the host.
       - name: set up QEMU
diff --git a/.github/workflows/rbac-gen.yaml b/.github/workflows/rbac-gen.yaml
index 4976f7e47..d4d36e317 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rbac-gen.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rbac-gen.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: run gen-rbac
         run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make gen-rbac
diff --git a/.github/workflows/snyk.yaml b/.github/workflows/snyk.yaml
index d8236160f..f3b5a8192 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/snyk.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/snyk.yaml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: Install Snyk CLI
         uses: snyk/actions/setup@master
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-test.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-test.yml
index 37adcb5c0..39386cd88 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-test.yml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
+          go-version: "1.26"
 
       - name: Setup jq
         uses: dcarbone/install-jq-action@b7ef57d46ece78760b4019dbc4080a1ba2a40b45 # v3.2.0