Artificial intelligence, geopolitical tensions, and a rise in cyber-enabled fraud are rapidly transforming the global cyber risk landscape, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The findings, published in the report Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, highlight how technology is both strengthening defence mechanisms and enabling increasingly sophisticated attacks.
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The report notes that cybersecurity has become a “core strategic concern” for governments, businesses, and societies. Organisations are deploying AI and automation at scale to mitigate threats, yet governance frameworks and human expertise struggle to keep pace with technological advances.
Geopolitical fragmentation is expected to remain the top driver of cyber risk mitigation strategies in 2026. Approximately 64 percent of organisations now account for cyberattacks motivated by political objectives, such as espionage or disruption of critical infrastructure.
Cyber-enabled fraud has emerged as a pervasive threat, spreading across sectors and regions and affecting both economic stability and societal trust. The WEF report warns that AI-related vulnerabilities are accelerating faster than any other cyber risk, with 87 percent of respondents noting an increase in such threats in 2025. Generative AI–linked data leaks (34 percent) and growing adversarial capabilities (29 percent) are among the top concerns for the year ahead.
Supply chain weaknesses also continue to pose systemic risks, with 65 percent of large companies citing third-party and infrastructure dependencies as major barriers to cyber resilience. Concentration risks at cloud and internet service providers have demonstrated how failures in key infrastructure can trigger cascading impacts across global digital networks.
Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the WEF, stressed that the interconnected nature of modern cyber risks demands a strategic response. “Cyber-enabled fraud is one of the most disruptive forces in the digital economy, undermining trust and directly affecting people’s lives,” he said.
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The report underscores that in a world of fast-evolving technology and geopolitical divides, organisations must integrate AI, policy, and operational resilience to safeguard digital ecosystems and maintain global trust.