Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026

AI risks Data leaks and advancement of adversarial capabilities dominate CEOs’ concerns about generative AI CEOs identify data leaks (30%) and the advancement of adversarial capabilities (28%) as the most significant security concerns related to generative AI (genAI). These two risks stand out clearly above others, indicating that exposure of proprietary data through genAI and the growing sophistication of cyber attackers are the primary issues on CEOs’ radars for 2026. CEOs’ perception of key AI security risks FIGURE 1 Which cybersecurity issue related to genAI concerns you the most? CEO (%)0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%Data leaks (exposure of personal data through genAI) 30% Advancement of adversarial capabilities 28% Technical security of the AI systems themselves 15% Increased complexity of security governance 13% Legal concerns of intellectual property and liability 9% Software supply chain and code development risks 6% Geopolitics Private-sector CEOs question national readiness for major cyberattacks on critical infrastructure Less than 45% of all CEOs from the private sector are confident in their country’s ability to respond to major cyber incidents targeting critical infrastructure. CEOs’ confidence in national responses to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure FIGURE 2 How confident are you in the preparedness of the country in which you are based to respond to major cyber incidents targeting critical infrastructure? Confident Neutral Not confident20% 40% 60% 80%Private-sector CEOs (%) 0% 100%31% 26% 43% Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 12