Bethany Alvaro 
The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) investigated potential cyber security trends that may emerge in the new year, with WEF managing director Jeremy Jurgens saying that the “cyber landscape has become both a catalyst for progress and a vector of profound risk”.
The report, which was made public earlier this week, found that AI is “supercharging the cyber arms race”, with 94 per cent of respondents indicating it to be the largest driver of change in cyber security within 2026.
However, wariness about adopting this technology was evident, with 87 per cent of survey respondents highlighting AI vulnerabilities as an increasing cyber risk, and reports of organisations assessing the security of AI tool usage doubling from 37 per cent to 64 per cent in the past year.
“Developments in AI are reshaping multiple domains, including cyber security,” said Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information.
“Implemented well, these technologies can assist and support human operators in detecting, defending and responding to cyber threats.
“However, they can also pose serious risks such as data leaks, cyber attacks and online harms if they malfunction, or are misused.”
Respondents from public and private organisations indicated major differences in their resilience in the event of cyber security breaches, with the private sector 12 per cent more confident in organisational cyber resilience than the public and international sectors.
Geopolitical tensions were also emphasised as a major cyber security consideration, with 91 per cent of the largest organisations involved in the research indicating that they changed their cyber security strategies as a result of geopolitical tensions.
Researchers said in the report that “ongoing instability in the wake of the war in Ukraine has coincided with a rise in hybrid attacks, using drones to target European airports and other critical infrastructure”.
“Beyond Europe, escalating geopolitical rivalries and conflicts across the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa require organisations to maintain heightened vigilance as risks intensify across regions and industries,” the report said
For more information, the full report is available here.