New Report Calls for Global Action to Drive Cyber Resilience in the Intelligent Age

Published

16 Oct 2024

2024

World Economic Forum, public.affairs@weforum.org

The World Economic Forum’s latest report finds that 200 critical and emerging technologies are rapidly revolutionising industries, while multiplying cybersecurity challenges.
The new research calls for an urgent paradigm shift from "security by design" to "resilience by design" to mitigate rapidly evolving risks.
Collaborative, cross-sector efforts will be critical to enhance cyber resilience and ensure responsible technology deployment worldwide.
Read the full report here. Follow the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 here and on social media using #GFC24.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 October 2024 – A new World Economic Forum report released today underscores the urgent need for a fundamental shift in how emerging technologies are developed and deployed to bolster global cybersecurity efforts. Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) are among 200 revolutionary technologies reshaping industries and sectors, but their rapid advancement has also expanded the threat landscape, requiring new cyber defence strategies and governance frameworks.

The new report – Navigating Cyber Resilience in the Age of Emerging Technologies: Collaborative Solutions for Complex Challenges – provides a comprehensive guide with actionable insights for stakeholders across government, industry, academia and civil society to navigate the complexity of the emerging technology environment. It advocates for a collective commitment to fostering a responsible development of emerging technologies, particularly AI, by emphasizing the need to balance innovation, resilience, security and ethical considerations.

“Resilience by design is a paradigm-shifting approach; it requires organizations and policy-makers to broaden their focus from merely improving cybersecurity to a full spectrum of advancing cyber resilience,” said Akshay Joshi, Head of the Centre for Cybersecurity, World Economic Forum. “It involves building systems that are not only secure, but also flexible and adaptive, with the ability to evolve in response to emerging threats.”

The report identifies more than 200 emerging technologies influencing the digital ecosystem and provides insights into their wide-ranging impacts on cybersecurity globally. These include:

Expanding attack surface: The exponential growth of connected devices – predicted to surpass 32 billion by 2030 - is multiplying the entry points for cyber threats.
AI-specific threats: The dual use of AI for both cybersecurity and malicious purposes introduces new risks, such as adversarial attacks, which can trick AI models into incorrect results, and data manipulation.
Quantum computing risks: Advances in quantum computing could undermine current encryption standards, requiring an urgent development of new, quantum-resistant systems.
Supply-chain vulnerabilities: The complexity of global supply chains increases the potential for security breaches, requiring enhanced end-to-end protections.
Regulatory challenges: The speed of technological advances often outpaces existing regulatory frameworks, creating governance gaps.

“The importance of balancing innovation with informed risk assessment, robust cybersecurity measures and ethical considerations cannot be overlooked when adopting and integrating emerging technologies into our organizations,” said Christophe Blassiau, SVP & Group CISO, Schneider Electric.

The report calls for a "resilience-by-design" approach, moving beyond traditional "security-by-design" strategies to ensure that systems are built to withstand and recover from cyberattacks and ever-evolving threats rather than merely preventing them. Some of its key recommendations include:

Investment in R&D: Increased funding for research and development into quantum-resistant encryption and AI-driven cybersecurity tools.
Cross-sector collaboration: Stronger partnerships between government, industry and academia to share knowledge and address cybersecurity challenges collectively.
Regulatory adaptation: Developing flexible regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with security and ethics in the deployment of emerging technologies.
Cyber-resilience planning: Comprehensive incident response plans that account for emerging threats and ensure quick recovery from incidents.
Governance frameworks: Establishing governance structures to guide the ethical and secure development of emerging technologies.

“As emerging technologies drive the evolution of new economies, advanced industries, and digital ecosystems, fostering cyber resilience through international collaboration is paramount,” said Hoda Alkhzaimi, Director of the Centre for Cybersecurity, New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “By embedding resilience by design principles and adopting cross-sector solutions, we can address current vulnerabilities while preparing for the complexities of tomorrow. It is only through strategic partnerships and innovative frameworks that we can secure the future of our digital and industrial landscapes."

The report also highlights case studies from countries including the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, as well as companies such as Schneider Electric. These case studies explore the security implications of various emerging technologies – spanning AI, quantum, biosynthesis and “smart cities” – showcasing practical applications of integrating new technology into cybersecurity strategies.

About the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024

The Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils is taking place between 15 and 17 October in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The meeting will bring together over 500 global experts to exchange insights, explore emerging trends and accelerate solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges around three key themes: innovation for inclusive growth; climate action, nature protection and the energy transition; and building trust for global collaboration. Insights from the meeting will shape the World Economic Forum’s work throughout the coming year, including the Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos.

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All opinions expressed are those of the author. The World Economic Forum Blog is an independent and neutral platform dedicated to generating debate around the key topics that shape global, regional and industry agendas.