Growing Complexity in Cyberspace Primes Global Cybersecurity Outlook for 2025

Nearly 54% of large organizations identify supply chain interdependencies as the greatest barrier to achieving cyber resilience, and geopolitical turmoil has affected the perception of risks, with 1 in 3 CEOs citing cyber espionage and loss of sensitive information/IP theft as their top concern, as per the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report released Monday.

The report highlights the 'increasing complexity' in the cyber landscape, which has 'significant' implications for organizations and nations. As per the report, this complexity arises from the rapid growth of emerging technologies, prevailing geopolitical uncertainty, the evolution of threats, regulatory challenges, vulnerabilities in supply chain interdependencies and the growing cyber skills gap.

Growing complexity further exacerbates cyber inequity, deepening the divide between developed and emerging economies, expanding sectoral disparities, and widening the gap between large and small organizations.

"Cyberspace is more complex and challenging than ever due to rapid technological advancements, growing cybercriminal sophistication and deeply interconnected supply chains. The Global Cybersecurity Outlook equips leaders with essential insights to navigate these challenges and strengthen cyber resilience," said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. “Collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders is paramount to secure the benefits of digitalization for all.”

The report identifies key factors driving the accelerating complexity and unpredictability in the cyber landscape, along with insights into their cumulative impact on both organizational and national cybersecurity posture. These include supply chain risk interdependencies, geopolitical tensions, and evolution of the threat landscape.

The unprecedented level of sophistication in cyber threats enabled by emerging technologies enhances malicious actors’ ability to operate scams and social engineering attacks, generate disinformation, and execute ransomware at a pace, scope and scale never seen before, as per the report.

Nearly 47% of organizations cite adversarial advancements powered by GenAI as their primary concern.

While regulations bolster cyber resilience, 76% of CISOs at the 2024 Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity reported that fragmentation of regulations introduces significant compliance challenges.

Since 2024, the cyber skills gap has increased by 8%, with two in three organizations lacking essential talent and skills to meet their security requirements; only 14% of organizations are confident that they have the people and skills they need today.

“Cybersecurity threats are more complex and unpredictable than ever and can directly impact an organization’s financial stability. The disruptive force of AI, coupled with supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions, calls for a more proactive and collaborative approach to ensure a strong cyber resilient posture across all industries,” said Paolo Dal Cin, Global Lead, Accenture Security. “C-suite leaders must adopt a security-first mindset from the outset to confidently navigate these challenges with cybersecurity as an enabler that keeps our businesses and organizations resilient."

The report calls for a shift in perspective from cybersecurity to enhanced cyber resilience – an organization’s ability to mitigate the impact of significant cyber incidents on its goals and objectives. Additionally, it underscores the importance of evaluating cyber risks from a socioeconomic perspective, which is essential for organizations and nations to effectively allocate resources and strengthen their resilience against cyber threats.