Escalating geopolitical tensions and increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats pose significant risks to critical infrastructure, which depends on networks of interconnected devices and legacy systems. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine exemplifies these vulnerabilities, with critical sectors such as energy, telecommunications, water and heating repeatedly targeted by both cyber and physical attacks.16 These attacks often focus on disrupting control systems and compromising data, highlighting the critical risks associated with operational technology (OT). As cyberthreats continue to evolve, they not only threaten system functionality but also jeopardize human safety, increasing the severity and consequences of disruptions to vital infrastructure. Some critical, high-risk areas to monitor are: Water facilities Cyberattacks on water facilities pose significant risks to public safety, infrastructure and national security. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the United States outlined these risks in a toolkit, emphasizing the vulnerabilities in OT systems used in water facilities, such as remote access points and outdated software.17 Cybercriminals can exploit these weaknesses to disrupt water-treatment processes, causing potential contamination, loss of service or other hazardous consequences. A notable example of these threats occurred in October 2024, when a cyberattack targeted the largest water utility in the United States, disrupting operations and raising alarms about the security of critical infrastructure.18Biosecurity Rapid technological advances have redefined the biological threat landscape, with biosecurity coming to the forefront. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that advances in artificial intelligence, cyberattacks and genetic engineering could pose potentially catastrophic risks to global biosecurity.19 A 2024 WHO report highlighted several ways in which cyberthreats could compromise biosecurity, including accessing sensitive data or research, disruption of laboratory security systems, theft or sabotage of biosecurity-relevant information and espionage for competitive or harmful objectives.20 Furthermore, cyberattacks could incapacitate essential laboratory systems, interrupting operations and causing loss of data integrity, which would delay critical research or compromise safety protocols. Over the course of 2024, two laboratories were targeted in South Africa and the United Kingdom.21 These vulnerabilities underscore the need for advanced cybersecurity measures in biosecurity strategies to address these growing risks. Simultaneously, the sensitive nature of genomic data poses new risks due to its unique qualities, such as the ability to identify individuals and reveal their familial ties.22 These characteristics expose genomic data to threats such as reidentification from seemingly anonymous datasets, unauthorized access leading to privacy violations and potential misuse. The breach of a genetic-testing company in late 2023 that exposed the data of nearly 7 million people has already trained the spotlight on these risks.Beyond cybercrime: Emerging threats to critical infrastructure and human safety With emerging technologies reshaping the landscape, cyber is no longer limited to the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Cybersecurity now encompasses human safety and needs to address the real risk to people’s lives when a system is attacked or compromised. Bushra AlBlooshi, Director of Cybersecurity Governance Risk Management Department, Dubai Electronic Security Centre As genomics continues to evolve as a critical field, securing sensitive biological data, the interconnected systems and the users becomes essential. The protection of bioinformatics platforms, along with the prevention of misuse in biotechnical applications, is vital. This includes safeguarding data analytics and securing the broader ecosystem of interconnected systems to mitigate risks across sectors. As these emerging technologies grow, the need for robust security in bioinformatics, their analytics and cyber-physical systems will only increase, creating new resiliency challenges for cybersecurity leaders. Hoda Al Khazimi, Director, Centre for Cybersecurity, New York University Abu Dhabi Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 17