Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 Regional Analysis Europe and Central Asia FEBRUARY 2026 Introduction Cybersecurity risk in 2026 is accelerating, fuelled by advances in AI, deepening geopolitical fragmentation and the complexity of supply chains. This analysis builds on the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 (GCO 2026) to examine how these global trends are playing out in Europe and Central Asia, providing a focused view of the region’s evolving cybersecurity landscape. Key takeaways on Europe and Central Asia –88% of respondents from Europe and Central Asia reported that risks related to AI vulnerabilities have increased in the past year. The global perception of AI risk is slightly lower at 87%. –27% of organizations reported not having any processes in place to assess the security of AI tools before deploying them. However, 75% of organizations from this region (globally 77%) reported having implemented AI for cybersecurity. –Ransomware is the number one concern in the region, followed by cyber-enabled fraud. Some 71% of respondents reported that they themselves or someone in their network has been affected by cyber- enabled fraud. Globally, this figure is higher at 73%. –70% of organizations based in Europe and Central Asia reported their cybersecurity strategies have evolved because of geopolitical volatility. This percentage is lower at 66% across all respondents. –66% of respondents declared their cyber resilience meets minimum requirements (globally 64%), and 40% of respondents from this region reported some level of confidence in the national ability to respond to a major cyber incident affecting critical infrastructure (globally 37%). –43% of organizations in Europe and Central Asia report missing critical people and skills to meet current cybersecurity objectives. This is marginally better than the global average, which is 49%.Does your organization have a process in place to assess the security of AI tools before deploying them? Yes, we review periodically Yes, we review once I don’t know NoEast Asia and Paciﬁc 48% 27% 5% 19% 40% 21% 13% 26%South Asia 36% 27% 10% 26%Europe and Central Asia56% 13% 7% 24%Middle East and North Africa 29% 18% 8% 45%Sub-Saharan Africa 19% 24% 6% 51%Latin America and the Caribbean56% 22% 4% 18%North AmericaAI security AI risk perception –According to the GCO 2026 survey, 93% of organizations in the region believe AI and machine learning will have the greatest impact on cybersecurity in the next 12 months (globally 94%), and 88% report that AI-related risks have increased. –Furthermore, data leaks are considered the most pressing cybersecurity issue linked to generative AI in this region, cited by 30% of respondents (globally 34%). –This heightened concern is not unique to Europe and Central Asia, but the region appears better prepared compared with other regions. Some 63% of organizations in this region report they assess the security of AI tools before deployment at least once or periodically, close to the global average of 64%.