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60% of Organizations Revamp Cybersecurity in Response to Geopolitical Tensions

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Giuseppe Ciccomascolo
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Key Takeaways

  • Nearly 60% of organizations have adjusted their cybersecurity strategies in response to geopolitical tensions.
  • CEOs prioritize concerns like cyber espionage and IP theft, while cybersecurity leaders are focused on the risk of operational disruptions.
  • Advancements like generative AI raise concerns, enabling more sophisticated attacks and increasing organizational vulnerabilities.

Geopolitical tensions are transforming cybersecurity, with most organizations reporting an impact. Artificial intelligence (AI) adds complexity: While some institutions see its potential, only a few assess AI security tools.

To build resilience, organizations must strengthen cyber hygiene, align security with business goals and embrace collaboration.

Tensions Shape Cybersecurity Strategies

Nearly 60% of organizations report that geopolitical tensions have influenced their cybersecurity strategies, according to a World Economic Forum survey .

One in three CEOs identify cyber espionage and theft of sensitive information or intellectual property (IP) as their top concerns.

Meanwhile, 45% of cybersecurity leaders are worried about disruptions to operations and business processes.

A growing concern  is the crossover between nation-state threats and cybercriminal activity. Nation-state actors increasingly use tools and techniques from the cybercriminal world and vice versa.

Geopolitical tensions
The influence of geopolitical tensions on cybersecurity strategy. | Credit: World Economic Forum

State-sponsored attackers are now targeting not only governments but also seeking to disrupt economies, compromise critical infrastructure, and create global chaos.

Organizations face direct attacks and risk becoming collateral damage as adversaries exploit vulnerabilities in supply chains and shared services.

In this scenario, understanding geopolitical dynamics is crucial for effective long-term risk management. CISOs acknowledge the volatile situation, noting there are no standard playbooks for managing geopolitical risk.

Instead, it requires a return to traditional risk management. Strong alignment between security teams and business functions is essential to navigate the complexities introduced by geopolitical risks.

AI Introduces New Vulnerabilities

While 66% of organizations believe AI will have the most significant impact on cybersecurity in the coming year, only 37% have processes in place to evaluate the security of AI tools before deploying them.

According to the World Economic Forum, this highlights a paradox: Despite recognizing AI-driven cybersecurity risks, many organizations rapidly adopt AI without implementing adequate safeguards to ensure cyber resilience.

WEF question
Most significant vulnerabilities reported. | Credit: World Economic Forum

Additionally, 72% of respondents report a rise in organizational cyber risks, with ransomware remaining a key concern.

Nearly 47% of organizations identify advancements driven by generative AI (GenAI) as their primary worry, as it enables more sophisticated and scalable attacks.

In 2024, there was a notable spike  in phishing and social engineering incidents, with 42% of organizations reporting such cases.

The State of Cyber Resilience

Cyber resilience—the ability to reduce the impact of major cyber incidents—requires ongoing vigilance and adaptive strategies. 72% of organizations report rising cyber risks and 63% point to a complex and evolving threat landscape as their biggest challenge.

Half of the organizations rank information-sharing and threat intelligence through Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) as the most effective international cooperation measures.

However, these efforts are often fragmented, limiting their overall impact.

WEF question
In what ways does your organization incentivize employees to report security mistakes, incidents and risks? | Credit: World Economic Forum

Effective incident response depends on fostering a culture of openness and collaboration. High-resilience organizations encourage reporting by providing cyber training (76%), support teams (62%), and anonymous reporting channels (48%).

This collaborative mindset is critical for tackling sophisticated, borderless cyber threats for WEF.

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Giuseppe Ciccomascolo

Giuseppe Ciccomascolo began his career as an investigative journalist in Italy, where he contributed to both local and national newspapers, focusing on various financial sectors. Upon relocating to London, he worked as an analyst for Fitch's CapitalStructure and later as a Senior Reporter for Alliance News. In 2017, Giuseppe transitioned to covering cryptocurrency-related news, producing documentaries and articles on Bitcoin and other emerging digital currencies. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the academy for a cryptocurrency exchange website. Crypto remained his primary area of interest throughout his tenure as a writer for ThirdFloor.
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