A rise in cybercrime as a service, combined with accelerating automation and offensive AI, has increased the scale, speed and sophistication of cybersecurity attacks—from novice threat actors seeking ransom payments to nation-state actors aiming to dismantle critical infrastructure.
This is happening against the backdrop of an increasingly complex geopolitical environment where cyber is almost certainly a standing tactical and strategic operational area. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Outlook, 70% of surveyed leaders reported that geopolitics have at least moderately influenced their organization’s cybersecurity strategies.
Organizations have long operated in a reality where the potential for cyberattacks is a constant threat.
For many security leaders, however, this pressure is reaching new levels. We recently surveyed nearly 1,800 security leaders across 14 countries and found that a majority (74%) report their organizations are seeing significant impacts from AI-augmented cyber threats. More concerningly, nearly two-thirds (60%) believe their organizations are inadequately prepared to defend against those attacks.
