3.3 The evolving landscape of cybercrime: AI, fraud and the global response Over the course of 2025, several high-profile cybercrime cases have dominated the headlines, with cyberattacks disrupting retail, businesses and manufacturing operations – and even targeting nurseries.16 Ransomware continues to be the leading concern for CISOs; by contrast, CEOs tend to be more concerned on the broader business impacts of frauds. For CISOs this concern reflects the significant operational disruption a successful ransomware attack can inflict on the availability of critical information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. Many of the major cyber incidents that made the headlines in 2025 were, in fact, driven by ransomware demands. As one of the most lucrative tactics for cybercriminals, ransomware remains a persistent threat, and the increasing integration of AI into attack methods is expected to make these attacks even more effective. Cyber-enabled fraud continues to grow in scale, taking a heavy toll on individuals and organizations around the world. According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook survey data, 77% of respondents reported an increase in cyber-enabled fraud and phishing overall, while 73% claimed that they or someone in their network had been personally affected by cyber-enabled fraud. The three most common types of attacks reported are phishing (including vishing and smishing), payment fraud and identity theft. Prevalence of cyber-enabled fraud (all respondents) FIGURE 21 Have you or anyone in your professional/personal network been affected by cyber-enabled fraud in the past 12 months? (select all that apply) Responses (%)60%Yes, phishing, vishing or smishing attacks 20% 40%62% Yes, invoice or payment fraud37% Yes, insider threat or employee-led fraud20% Yes, romance or impersonation scams17% Yes, investment or cryptocurrency fraud17%Yes, identity theft32% 0%73% 27% Yes No Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 30