Cybersecurity
Cyber-enabled fraud has become a pervasive global threat Ryan Boyes, Governance, Risk, and Compliance Oicer at Galix
According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Cybersecurity Outlook, 94% of leaders expect AI to be the biggest force shaping cybersecurity in 2026.
A rtificial intelligence, geopolitical fragmentation and a surge in cyber-enabled fraud are redefining the global cyber risk landscape at unprecedented speed. This is according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026. The report, developed in collaboration with Accenture, highlights that cyber-enabled fraud has become a pervasive threat. This shi¦ underscores the growing societal and economic impact of fraud as it spreads across regions and sectors. The report also showcases how AI is supercharging both oensive and defensive capabilities. Geopolitical fragmentation further compounds these risks, reshaping cybersecurity strategies and widening preparedness gaps across regions. This year marks the fi¦h edition of the Global Cybersecurity Outlook series, which has traced a steady evolution from pandemic-driven digitalisation to today’s increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. The new findings point to a cyber landscape undergoing significant structural shi¦s, where cyber resilience can no longer be approached as a technical function alone but needs to be recognised as a strategic requirement that underpins economic stability, national resilience and public trust. “As cyber risks become more interconnected and consequential, cyber-enabled fraud has emerged as one of the most disruptive forces in the digital economy, undermining trust, distorting markets and directly aecting people’s lives,” said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. “The challenge for leaders is not just understanding the threat but acting collectively to stay ahead of it. Building meaningful cyber resilience will require coordinated action across governments, businesses and technology providers to
protect trust and stability in an increasingly AI-driven world.” The gap between highly resilient organisations and those falling behind remains stark, with skills shortages and resource constraints amplifying systemic risk. Meanwhile, global supply chains have become more interconnected and opaque, turning third-party dependencies into systemic vulnerabilities. These dynamics are converging as inequalities in cyber capabilities are widening, leaving smaller organisations and emerging economies particularly exposed. “The weaponisation of AI, persistent geopolitical friction and systemic supply chain risks are upending traditional cyber defences. For C-suite leaders, the imperative is clear: they must pivot from traditional cyber protection to cyber defence powered by advanced and agentic AI to be resilient against AI-driven threat actors,” said Paolo Dal Cin, global lead, Accenture Cybersecurity. “True business resilience is built by fusing cyber strategy, operational continuity and foundational trust – enabling organisations to adapt swi¦ly to the dynamic threat landscape.” The report identifies key factors that will shape the evolving cyber landscape of 2026. AI is accelerating cybersecurity risks at unprecedented speed: AI-related vulnerabilities rose faster than any other category in 2025, with 87% of respondents re- porting an increase. Data leaks linked to generative AI (34%) and advancing adversarial capabilities (29%) are among the leading concerns for 2026. 94% of leaders expect AI to be the most consequential force shaping cybersecurity in 2026. Organisations are responding, nearly doubling the share assessing AI security, from 37% to 64%.
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26 Electricity + Control FEBRUARY 2026
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