A new report from the World Economic Forum found that CEOs view cyber-enabled fraud to be one of the most persistent global threats in the cyber risk landscape
In its report, World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, cyber-enabled fraud overtook ransomware as CEO’s top concern. CEOs also mentioned Artificial intelligence, and geopolitical fragmentation as their top global cyber risks. The report, developed with Accenture, looked at cyber-enabled fraud as a pervasive threat, as well as the growing societal and economic impact of fraud as it spreads across regions and sectors. According to the report, AI is supercharging offensive and defensive capabilities, and geopolitical fragmentation is further compounding these risks, reshaping cybersecurity strategies and widening the preparedness gaps across regions.
“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 affecting people’s lives,” Jeremy Jurgens, managing director of the World Economic Forum, said. “The challenge for leaders is no longer 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 survey asked for insight from 804 global business leaders in 92 countries, including 105 CEOs, 316 CIOs and 123 other c-suite executives. According to the report, 87 percent of respondents experienced AI-related vulnerabilities in the last year, and 94 percent of leaders expect AI to be the biggest force shaping cybersecurity in 2026. At the same time, survey respondents said geopolitical volatility is weakening confidence in national cyber preparedness, with 31 percent reporting low confidence in their country’s ability to respond to critical infrastructure attacks.
“The weaponization of AI, persistent geopolitical friction and systemic supply chain risks are upending traditional cyber defenses. For C-suite leaders, the imperative is clear; they must pivot from traditional cyber protection to cyber defense powered by advanced and agentic AI to be resilient against AI-driven threat actors,” Paolo Dal Cin, global lead, Accenture Cybersecurity, said. “True business resilience is built by fusing cyber strategy, operational continuity and foundational trust—enabling organizations to swiftly adapt to the dynamic threat landscape.
In its fifth edition, the Global Cybersecurity Outlook series has traced the evolution from pandemic-driven digitalization to today’s increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. The report’s findings point to a cyber landscape that is undergoing shifts, where cyber resilience can no longer be seen as a technical function but as a strategic requirement, the organizations said.