The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its latest Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, warning that the global cybersecurity landscape is becoming increasingly complex as geopolitical tensions escalate and digital technologies continue to evolve rapidly. The report emphasizes that cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue, but one deeply intertwined with global politics, economic resilience, and social equity.
According to the findings, nearly 60 percent of surveyed organizations acknowledged that their cybersecurity strategies have been affected by geopolitical instability. Leaders from both the private and public sectors reported a shift in how they perceive cyber risks, with one in three CEOs identifying cyber espionage and the theft of sensitive data or intellectual property as their most pressing concerns. Additionally, 45 percent of cybersecurity leaders cited operational disruptions and the threat to business continuity as key challenges they now face.
The report also notes that the accelerated adoption of new technologies is introducing more vulnerabilities, which in turn are exploited by increasingly sophisticated cyber actors. Rather than solely focusing on prevention, WEF urges a broader shift toward enhancing cyber resilience—the ability of an organization to continue achieving its goals despite experiencing significant cyber incidents. This includes reassessing risk through a socioeconomic lens to better allocate resources and ensure more effective protection strategies.
One of the critical insights presented is the growing concern over the use and security of artificial intelligence. Sixty-six percent of organizations surveyed believe that AI will have the most significant impact on cybersecurity in the coming years, and 37 percent indicated they already have processes in place to evaluate the security implications of AI tools before implementation.
WEF’s report also sheds light on widening disparities in cyber resilience across regions and sectors. Smaller organizations appear to be at a disadvantage, with 35 percent believing their cybersecurity readiness is inadequate—a sevenfold increase since 2022. Regional contrasts are also evident: only 15 percent of respondents in Europe and North America expressed doubts about their countries’ ability to respond to major cyber events, compared to 36 percent in Africa and 42 percent in Latin America.
The public sector is especially vulnerable, with 38 percent of respondents reporting insufficient resilience, compared to just 10 percent among medium-to-large private companies. This divide is also apparent in terms of human resources, as 49 percent of public sector organizations admitted they do not have the skilled workforce required to meet their cybersecurity objectives.
The report highlights the increasing difficulty of managing cyber threats in a fractured global environment. WEF’s call to action emphasizes resilience, resource allocation, and inclusive strategies to ensure that both small businesses and public institutions are not left behind in the face of accelerating cyber risks.
