Davos: The World Economic Forum (WEF) warned on Monday that cyber-enabled fraud is now one of the most pervasive global threats. According to Kuwait News Agency, the World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report highlights how the surge in cyber-enabled fraud, alongside developments in artificial intelligence and geopolitical fragmentation, is rapidly redefining the global cyber risk landscape. The Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, Jeremy Jurgens, emphasized that this form of fraud has become a disruptive force in the digital economy, impacting trust, market dynamics, and individuals' lives. He urged leaders to move from merely understanding these cyber threats to proactively countering them. The report revealed significant findings, including a sharp rise in AI-related vulnerabilities in 2025, with 87 percent of survey respondents noting an increase. Concerns about data leaks from generative AI (34 percent) and advancing adversarial capabilities (29 percent) are prominent as 2026 approaches. CEOs now prioritize fraud and phishing over ransomware as their main cyber concerns, as indicated by 73 percent of respondents who were directly affected or knew someone who was in 2025. The role of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity is expected to grow, with 94 percent of leaders predicting it will be the most significant factor by 2026. In response, organizations are nearly doubling their focus on AI security, increasing from 37 percent to 64 percent. The report also warns of AI weaponization, geopolitical tensions, and systemic supply chain risks that challenge traditional cyber defenses. Geopolitical factors have undermined confidence in national cyber readiness, with 31 percent of survey participants expressing reduced trust in their countries' ability to handle large-scale cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Confidence levels differ significantly by region, with 84 percent in the Middle East and North Africa, compared to only 13 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report also notes disparities in cyber capabilities across different sectors. Smaller companies are twice as likely to struggle with cyber resilience compared to larger firms. Global supply chains remain a critical vulnerability, with 65 percent of large companies identifying third-party and supply chain risks as major barriers to cyber resilience, up from 54 percent last year. The World Economic Forum calls on leaders from all sectors to collaborate beyond isolated efforts, urging them to share intelligence, align standards, and invest in necessary capabilities to create a secure and resilient digital environment for all organizations.
