A new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the most significant force reshaping cybersecurity risks globally. According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report, 94% of organisations now view AI as the biggest disruptor in the cybersecurity landscape, while 87% consider AI vulnerabilities to be the fastest-growing cyber threat.
Widespread Cyber Fraud and Evolving Threats
The report highlights that 73% of respondents said they or someone in their professional or personal network had been affected by cyber-enabled fraud. Escalating geopolitical tensions, deepfake-driven fraud, AI-powered phishing attacks, weak public-sector cyber resilience, and growing supply-chain dependencies are creating what the report describes as a “fast-paced, metamorphic landscape.” In this environment, the “speed and scale of attacks are testing the limits of traditional defences.”
AI is “reshaping risk, accelerating both offence and defence,” the report notes. Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting generative AI to automate phishing campaigns, produce deepfake audio and video, and carry out more sophisticated social engineering attacks. Data leaks associated with generative AI emerged as the top concern for 34% of respondents in 2026, up sharply from 22% in 2025. Meanwhile, 29% flagged the “advancement of adversarial capabilities” such as AI-enabled phishing, malware creation, and deepfakes as a major risk.
Shifting Corporate Priorities
A notable shift is visible in corporate priorities. While ransomware remains the top concern for chief information security officers (CISOs), chief executive officers (CEOs) now rank cyber-enabled fraud and phishing as their biggest fear in 2026, overtaking ransomware for the first time. The report says this reflects concerns over financial losses, reputational damage, and erosion of trust caused by digital scams and AI-powered fraud.
Cyber fraud is increasingly affecting ordinary users. According to the survey, phishing, vishing, and smishing attacks were the most common, impacting 62% of respondents. Payment fraud affected 37%, and identity theft impacted 32%.
AI Security Governance on the Rise
The report shows a sharp rise in AI security governance as organisations attempt to plug vulnerabilities. The share of organisations assessing the security of AI tools before deployment almost doubled from 37% in 2025 to 64% in 2026. However, 29% of organisations still lack any formal process to review AI security before deployment.
Geopolitics and Cybersecurity
Geopolitics has become central to cybersecurity planning. About 64% of organisations say geopolitically motivated cyberattacks now shape their cyber risk mitigation strategies, while 91% of the world’s largest organisations have altered cybersecurity strategies because of geopolitical volatility. Confidence in government cyber preparedness has weakened, with 31% of respondents lacking confidence in their country’s ability to respond to major cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, up from 26% last year. The report finds that 23% of public-sector organisations admit insufficient cyber resilience, compared with 11% in the private sector. Additionally, 78% of resilient organisations identify third-party and supply-chain vulnerabilities as their biggest cyber challenge globally today.
