Geopolitical instability and the acceleration of AI were two of the defining trends of 2025. It is thus somewhat unsurprising that these are the main factors shaping cybersecurity today. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, cybersecurity is accelerating amid growing threats, geopolitical fragmentation and a widening technology divide. AI is transforming cybersecurity on both sides of the battle, enabling organisations to adopt more powerful defences against attacks while also making more sophisticated attacks possible. AI is anticipated to be the most significant driver of change in cybersecurity in the year ahead, according to 94 per cent of those surveyed by the report. The percentage of respondents assessing the security of AI tools nearly doubled from 37 per cent in 2025 to 64 per cent this year and 87 per cent of respondents also identified AI vulnerabilities as the fastest growing cyber risk in 2025. But while AI might be influencing the methods and tools of cybersecuirty, geopolitics remains the top factor shaping cyber risk mitigation strategies. Some 64 per cent of organisations are affected by geopolitically motivated cyberattacks – such as the disruption of critical infrastructure or espionage.
Simply put, geopolitical volatility emerges as the prime motivator of cyberattacks, at least in the minds of those surveyed. The primacy of geopolitical volatility and tensions echoes the conclusions of last year’s WEF global cybersecurity outlook. Given that geopolitical conflicts only appear to have risen since the last report was published, the impact on cybersecurity has likely only intensified. This is a dynamic that Pakistan, as one of the countries that went to war in 2025 and one that is currently experiencing an elevated terror threat, needs to be wary of. An attack on the country does not necessarily have to come via conventional means, but this is something that the country’s national security leadership appears to be aware of and building readiness for.
According to global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, the country faces around one million cyberattacks every month and the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) issued an advisory last year warning that the login credentials and passwords of more than 180 million internet users in Pakistan had been stolen in a global data breach, while the PTA blocked over 1300 websites, social media pages and applications selling the leaked data of Pakistani citizens. Incidents like this make it clear that the country’s cyber sphere needs stronger protections. Increasing cybersecurity will also have to be balanced with concerns about censorship. However, as the world becomes increasingly online and AI is added to the mix, it is clear that geopolitical tensions are becoming more intrusive. They are now impacting us where we bank, talk to friends, watch movies and basically live our whole lives. And unlike conventional attacks, cyberattacks are relatively cheap and can be conducted far more frequently. Rather than living in a world of permanent cyber-insecurity, it would be much better if geopolitical tensions were toned down through multilateralism. Alas, this seems to be the most unlikely of outcomes in 2026.
