Despite this, only 15% of respondents consider space assets, and 18% account for undersea cables, in cyber risk mitigation. With the growth of AI-driven operations, cloud services and autonomous systems, organizations will increasingly rely on precise timing, navigation and robust data connections. This heightened dependence means that even small disruptions in satellite or undersea cable infrastructure could trigger widespread impacts across entire digital ecosystems. Natural disasters and climate change By 2030, the convergence of climate volatility and digital dependency will have transformed natural disasters into complex cyber-physical crises. Extreme weather, prolonged droughts and heatwaves routinely disrupt power, data and logistics networks, while AI-driven coordination systems for energy grids, water and emergency response introduce new attack surfaces. As renewable energy and storage infrastructures expand, their dense networks of inverters, sensors and cloud-linked controllers multiply points of cyber exposure. Climate-related shocks increasingly coincide with misinformation and organized influence operations that capitalize on confusion during emergencies, eroding confidence in institutions. Cross-border impacts – such as satellite degradation from solar storms or undersea- cable damage from seabed shifts – underscore how physical events cascade through digital infrastructure. By 2030, climate may not just be a background stressor but a persistent amplifier of cyber risk, extending recovery times and blurring the line between environmental and digital resilience as emerging technologies combine and create cumulative risks that can compound the effect of climate-driven disruptions. Quantum technologies In 2026, 37% of Global Cybersecurity Outlook survey respondents believe quantum technologies will affect cybersecurity within the next 12 months. This reflects expectations of greater investment, stronger regulatory momentum and a faster pace of digital transformation in the year ahead. By 2030, quantum will have evolved from a theoretical disruptor into a selective but material threat to cryptography. State-level or well-resourced actors may be capable of quantum-accelerated attacks on high-value targets, even as full-scale code breaking remains rare. At the same time, defenders will harness quantum-enhanced analytics and sensing for anomaly detection, creating a dynamic attacker– defender race. The greatest systemic exposure will come from legacy encryption in embedded and industrial systems that cannot easily migrate. Driven by increased timelines and awareness – including the availability of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidance introduced in 2024, as well as tight migration deadlines set by national cybersecurity agencies – regulations are taking more decisive action and providing clearer guidelines for the transition to post-quantum cryptography.55 The window for proactive migration to these new cryptographic standards is closing fast. Those who delay will find that quantum readiness has become the next frontier of systemic cyber risk. 55 Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026